Some people find marinades more convenient to use than spice pastes. This marinade is more liquid than a paste, but not as liquid as most marinades. The flavour of the marinade may strike you as a little harsh when you first mix it, but I assure you the flavors will all blend and mellow as the meat cooks. To increase the heat of this rather mild marinade, add hot pepper sauce. If you want less heat remove the seeds and membranes containing the seeds from the peppers before grinding them.

1		Onion, finely chopped
1/2	C	Scallions, finely chopped
2	tsp	Fresh thyme leaves
1	tsp	Salt
2	tsp	Sugar
1	tsp	Jamaican pimento, ground (allspice)
1/2	tsp	Ground nutmeg
1/2	tsp	Ground cinnamon
1		Hot pepper, finely ground
1	tsp	Fresh ground black pepper
3	tbsp	Soy sauce
1	tbsp	Cooking oil
1	tbsp	Cider vinegar, or white vinegar

Mix together all the ingredients. A food processor fitted with a steel blade is ideal for chopping and combining. This will provide an excellent marinade for chicken, beef, or pork. Store leftover marinade in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for about 1 month.