Feb. 23, 1002 – Hamburgers are all-American fare. Add a bit of jerk seasoning, and all of a sudden, this favorite food takes on a Caribbean flair.
More than a cooking method, jerk is famous for its scalding hot seasoning compliments of the Scotch bonnet chili pepper. No matter what you've heard about Habaneros, the Scotch bonnet is considered the hottest pepper in the world.
This lantern-shaped pepper the size of a walnut comes in a rainbow of colors — green, yellow, orange and red. They are found at large supermarkets and roadside stands. In addition to the Scotch bonnet, jerk seasoning is known for its other distinctive flavors – allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper.
Make up a batch of jerk seasoning and use it to make the burger recipe below. You can also enjoy it rubbed into chicken, fish or even tofu slices.
Jerky Beef Burgers
Burgers:
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1 pound lean ground beef
Jerk seasoning:
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
To make burgers: Combine egg, breadcrumbs, onion and jerk seasoning. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape mixture into 4 burgers. Cook burgers in a skillet over medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning over while cooking. Burgers are done when meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Serve burgers plain or in a roll with lettuce and tomato.
To make jerk seasoning: Combine all ingredient in a blender or food processor and blend until finely chopped. Store leftover seasoning in the refrigerator.
Makes 4 burgers. Per burger: 292 calories, 19 gms fat (61 percent fat calories), 127 mg cholesterol, 102 mg sodium.
Note: When handling Scotch bonnet peppers, wear gloves and don't touch your skin or especially your eyes. Neutralize skin touches with sugar. Peppers can be de-seeded to lessen their fiery impact.

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