Chris De La Rosa, Author at CaribbeanPot.com

One of my favorite soups to look forward to on “Soup Saturdays” was when mom would have a massive pot of saltbeef (salted beef) soup, packed with ground provisions bubbling away on the stove. Due to the price and the fact that sourcing ‘good’ salted beef was difficult, we didn’t have saltbeef soup often. I still get a chuckle when I do thick heavy soups during the summer months here in Canada and people would say “isn’t it too hot for soups?”. For the most part the Caribbean is always hot and it’s tradition throughout the Caribbean that on Saturday’s we enjoy a piping hot bowl of soup.

You’ll Need…

1 lb salted beef
8-10 cups water
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 1/4 cups yellow split peas
1 large carrot
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
4 small potatoes
4-6 eddoes
1 large Taro (or dasheen)
3 sweet potatoes
Yam and green bananas optional
1 scotch bonnet pepper

* The salted beef I used had bones so I got my butcher to cut it into pieces for me. I then washed and boiled in water for about 25 minutes before I got to cooking the actual soup. This will help remove some of the salt and start tenderizing it a bit.

Add the pre-cooked salted beef to your soup pot and place it on a medium flame. I didn’t need any veg oil as the pieces of salted beef I had was rather fatty. Then go in with the smashed garlic, diced onion, thyme and black pepper. Turn the heat down to low and let it gently cook for about 5 minutes.

It’s now time to add the split peas (washed), along with the carrots and 5 cups of water and bring to a boil (turn up the heat).

When it comes to a boil, reduce it to a rolling boil and allow it to cook for 45 mins – 1 hr. Basically until the beef and peas are somewhat tender. I also added the scotch bonnet pepper chopped, but if you don’t want the raw heat of the Caribbean Sunshine, you can float it whole. Just be sure to not break it as the soup cooks. Then fish it out near the end and discard. Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

While things bubble, I like peeling my ground provisions and potato. Try to cut them the same size so they cook evenly and if you’re doing so in advance, simply place them in a bowl covered with water so they don’t discolor. If you see any sort of foam accumulating at the top, skim off and discard.

After the 1 hr or so, add all the other ingredients (including the chopped scallions), top with water and bring to a boil. If you notice any froth/scum at the top, skim off and discard. Cook for 25 mins or so on a rolling boil, or until all the ground provisions are tender. This will depend on how thick you cut them. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to this soup as the remaining salt from the beef will be enough, but you can certainly adjust to your liking near the end.

You can leave the pot open or have the lid slightly ajar as it boils.

While I must admit that the quality of salted beef I get here in Southern Ontario is not as good as the ones we’d normally get on the islands, this is still a TASTY and comforting soup. This sort of meal takes me back to a time and place I wish I could relive often. Such a fun time to be a kid on the islands! Remember if you wanted you can add some flour dumplings the last 10 mins of cooking and it will take the comfort level over the TOP!

Dry Pigeon Peas Rice (vegetarian)

October 4, 2016September 9, 201611 Comments

This is one of those recipes I associate with my grandmother who would always have dried pigeon peas stored in re-purposed glass ketchup bottles, in a dark corner of her smoky kitchen (she cooked with an open wood fire – called a coal pot). While she would save hers for making stew peas and pelau, the odd time she would make this rice dish, it was a bit different than what I’m about to share. If you have a pressure cooker you can cook the peas in a much faster time, but I quite like this slow method.

You’ll Need…

1 cup dried pigeon peas
3 cups parboil brown rice (washed)
1 tablespoon olive oil (coconut oil works great)
1/2 medium onion diced
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (chopped)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (see note below)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups water (divided)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)

Optional ingredients
2 cloves garlic
slice of ginger

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through all the ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. You may float a whole scotch bonnet pepper instead of a cut piece as I did. Be sure to NOT break it while it cooks or you will be in for some SERIOUS heat! Always remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling hot peppers.

Quickly go through the dried pigeon peas to ensure there’s no debris, wash it with cool water then place in a bowl (it will expand, so keep that in mind) and cover with water. Allow it to soak for a couple hours or overnight.

Chop, dice and slice all the ingredients. Then in a heavy pot over a medium heat, go in with the oil, after which you add all the ingredients except the pigeon peas, salt, rice, water and coconut milk. Turn the heat down to low and gently cook for about 4-5 minutes.

It’s now time to add the soaked pigeon peas along with the coconut milk, salt and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a gentle simmer (very low), cover the pot and allow this to cook until the peas are tender. It will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. After that time, check to see if they are tender (cook longer if necessary), then add the washed rice and the rest of the water. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil. To wash the rice you have a couple options. place in a deep bowl, fill with water and massage with your fingers/hand. Dump out the first batch of water when cloudy and repeat until the water is relatively clear. Or you can place in a strainer and run water over it while you massage. Do so until the water runs clear.

When it comes to a boil, stir and place the lid back on the pot. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked – about 25 minutes. Shut off the stove and leave it covered for 15 minutes.

Now it’s time to remove the lid and fluff with a fork so you have nice grainy rice.

Remember to remove the stems off thyme and discard before serving. This pigeon peas and rice is quite comforting and goes well with a side of Jerk Chicken as we enjoyed this night.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Jerk Chicken Stirfry.

May 27, 2025August 29, 2016Leave a Comment

After sharing a pic of this Jerk Chicken Stirfry on Instagram, I had someone comment “what is leftover jerk chicken?” I do agree, there are many Caribbean dishes which always seems to be gone by the end of the meal. Keeping in mind that I make additional dishes with leftover jerk chicken (chicken salad, fried rice and stirfry) I purposely make extra every-time I make jerk chicken (same can be said about Stew Chicken as well). This an absolute WINNER in my home and I’m sure it will make a delicious impression on you and your family.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon veg oil
1 cup diced Jerk Chicken
3-4 cups cabbage
1/2 medium bell pepper
1/2 med carrot
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
thin piece of ginger (diced)
1/2 medium onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
jerk marinade or pan drippings

optional – few drops of sesame oil

* Important. If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs – especially the sauces (soy, jerk, Hoisin and sesame oil)

I usually use chicken pieces with bones when I make Jamaican jerk chicken as I love the additional flavor you get from the bones. In my case I had to remove the meat off the bones (I used a leg and breast) and gave it a rough chop. Set aside. IMPORTANT! If you have any pan drippings from your jerk chicken SAVE it and add to this dish.

Prepare the vegetables and set aside. Try to keep them the same size so they cook evenly.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on low and go in with the garlic for 20 seconds.

Turn up the heat to medium and go in with the peppers, onion, ginger and celery and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the soy and Hoisin sauces and toss.

Now go in with the pieces of jerk chicken, mix well and then the cabbage. At this point you can add all of the other ingredients.

Remember to add any pan drippings you may have and for a MORE intense jerk flavor you can add a tablespoon of your fav jerk sauce/marinade. Please don’t cover the pot as we want the vegetables to maintain a slight crunch. That is unless you like soggy vegetables, then do your thing. The soy and salt we added should be enough to properly season this dish, but you can adjust to your own liking.

Now you have a reason to make extra jerk chicken!

Drinks

Apple Carrot Orange Smoothie.

May 29, 2025August 24, 2016Leave a Comment

In this the final smoothie in our “Week of Smoothies”, I thought I’d round off things with one that’s not only very simple to make, but it mimics a popular drink we enjoy in the Caribbean, Carrot Punch! With orange juice and diced apples, it’s packed with health benefits, great for your weight loss diet and very refreshing. While smoothies are not something we traditionally make in the Caribbean (as I’ve mentioned before), you’ll find that it’s becoming very popular the past few years. And while we normally reach for tropical fruits, apples are widely available – to be honest I’ve had better apples in the Caribbean (imported) than in Canada.

You’ll Need…

1 large Apple (your fav)
1 large carrot
1 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Core and dice the apple, then put everything into your blender.

I usually grate the carrot so it’s easier work for my blender – even though this beast of a blender I have is VERY powerful. Then it’s just a matter of hitting the ‘smoothie’ settings (if your blender has that option) or blend till smooth.

* Add ice or more liquid if you want.

I usually use chilled fruits/juice so I don’t need to add any ice, but it’s totally up to you. ENJOY!

As we say bye to a wonderful Week Of Smoothies, I’m hoping to continue with more in the coming months.. but we’ll experiment with more “Caribbean” fruits. The goal is to go island hopping in the next few months so I’ll have access to such fruits.

Desserts Drinks

Cantaloupe Cucumber Kale Smoothie.

August 21, 2016August 21, 2016Leave a Comment

If you’ve been keeping score you’ll realize that we’re up to day 4 or simply the 4th smoothie recipe is this the first annual Week Of Smoothies at CaribbeanPot.com. While you won’t automatically associate Kale and Cantaloupe with the Caribbean, the last few times I was down on the islands I saw them both readily available. I assume the same way we can get any tropical fruits and vegetables in North America, you’re seeing the reverse on the islands. Luv it!

You’ll Need…

1/2 medium cantaloupe
2 small cucumbers
2 oranges (juice)
2 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon Honey/Agave – optional

I used cucumbers (dill type) from my garden, so I removed the seeds and gave them a rough chop. I did peel one and left the other with the skin on. If you’re using an English cucumber, you don’t have to peel nor core. Trim off the tough stems off the kale and give them a rough chop (be sure to wash them good first).

Peel, seed and rough-chop the cantaloupe. Load everything into the blender, including the juice of the oranges.

It’s just a matter of blending smooth now. You can go in with a bit of honey or agave if you wish.. but not only am I cutting back on my sugar, the cantaloupe added enough sweetness to this smoothie for my liking. Remember to chill the oranges, cantaloupe and cucumber for a cool drink (this way you don’t have to add any ice).

Desserts Drinks

Refreshing Watermelon Berry Smoothie.

September 9, 2016August 18, 2016Leave a Comment

We always looked forward to watermelon season when I was a kid growing up on the islands, but having the patience to not prematurely pick the massive melons dad grew in his garden wasn’t the easiest thing for a kid. Pops has his own technique for telling when the watermelons are perfectly red inside and while he never passed that tip on to me, I do get a chuckle when I see people tapping, scrutinizing, holding them up to the light and do other weird things to them at the grocery store. My tip.. go to where they have the cut slices for sale and if they are red and look perfect, chances are the whole ones on sale will be good. After-all, that’s where that cut piece came from.

You’ll Need…

3 cups watermelon
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (frozen)
1/2 cup low fat milk (cold)

* You can also freeze or chill the cubed watermelon to ensure you have a cold and refreshing smoothie to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. You can also toss in some rum and enjoy big-people fun with this!

The mixed berries I used had cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in the mix, if you’re wondering. I opted for low fat milk but you can use whatever milk you have on hand or any milk substitute you prefer (almond, soy, coconut etc).

Basically all you have to do is toss everything into your blender and give it a buzz for 2-3 minutes and you’re done! If you have access to tropical fruit, you can certainly get more creative.

I do hope you’re enjoying the full week of smoothies I’ve been sharing, but most of all.. do give them a try and leave me some comments below!

Desserts Drinks

Jackfruit Smoothie.

August 18, 2016August 17, 20163 Comments

As we continue with this week of smoothies, it’s time to use a very common but ignored Caribbean (tropical) fruit, Jackfruit. A sweet (like refined sugar) tasting fruit, with a sort of custard-like texture, but the scent can be a bit overpowering when it’s fully ripe. We had just driven through Fern Gully, Jamaica and had stopped for ‘refreshments’ at a road-side bar, when I gazed on a Jackfruit tree on the side of the building laden with some of the largest fruits I’ve ever seen. It’s funny how whenever I think about Jackfuit, it takes me back to that Jamaican trip and the roadside bar where I enjoyed some of the most refreshing Guinness I’ve ever had.

You’ll Need…

2 cups frozen jack fruit
8 ice cubes
2-3 cups yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

Though I can get fresh/ripe Jackfruit here in Ontario at the many Asian grocery stores, it’s somewhat expensive. Besides it being cheaper, I find that the frozen Jackfruit they also stock is already prepared and it works great in smoothies and drinks.

Basically all you have to do is place all the ingredients listed above in a blender and make into your smoothie.

Yes, you can use a fruit flavored yogurt if you like, but keep in mind that it will change the overall flavor of the completed smoothie. Additionally, due to the sort of creamy nature of this smoothie, a couple drops of vanilla or almond extract will work great as well.

I may have mentioned this before, but the drive through Fern-gully is a MUST when you visit Jamaica. There’s a sort of mystical aura to the area.. as if you’re in a fairy tail.

Drinks

Simple Energizing Green Smoothie.

August 15, 2016August 15, 2016Leave a Comment

When I was a kid on the islands smoothies wasn’t a ‘thing”, however we did have ‘punches’! With milk (in most cases) as it’s base, they included many of the exotic tropical fruits we are blessed with in the Caribbean. Today you can still see many punch vendors (known as the “punch-man”) in all the major cities and towns, but smoothies are just as common and many people include them as part of their daily breakfast or workout regime.

With all the requests I’ve been getting lately, I’ve decided to dedicate a full week to smoothies for your enjoyment!

You’ll Need…

1 stick celery
1 mango
2 cups spinach
2-3 cups coconut water
1/2 avocado
2 thin slices of ginger
1 banana

Wash the spinach and drain, then give the celery a rough chop and add them both to your blender. Go in with the ripe banana, ginger (I didn’t even bother peeling it) as well as the peeled avocado and diced mango.

Top with the coconut water and hit the puree or blend setting on your blender for a couple minutes (my blender had a smoothie setting). Feel free to add a few cubes of ice if you wish and frozen mango (pre packaged) will work just as well as fresh mango if that’s all you have access to.

I usually chill my ingredients, especially the mango and coconut water so I don’t have use ice cubes, which can water-down this smoothie. Please drink immediately or you’ll find that it will not maintain in brilliant color and may start to break down (separate) after it’s been sitting for a while.

* You can go in with a tablespoon or more of honey or agave, if you’d like to ad a bit more sweetness than what the banana and mango will already have.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Shrimp With Pumpkin.

March 11, 2017August 11, 20163 Comments

Pumpkin and shrimp are two things mom struggled to get us to eat as kids, but as an adult I can’t get enough. Looking back I wish I had started eating pumpkin from a younger age as the pumpkins mom would use came directly from the small garden we had at the back of our home in rural Trinidad. Grown organically and under the brilliant Caribbean sun… I still recall mom commenting “gosh this pumpkin cook real gud” every time she made a pumpkin dish.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs pumpkin (butternut squash will work also)
1/2 lb shrimp (med, cleaned and deveined)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon water
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)

Edit! : Forgot to add the curry powder in the list. 1 Heaping Tablespoon Curry Powder (more to your liking)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, which can have flour as a filler at times.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp. Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt and black pepper. Allow the seasoned shrimp to marinate for 10 minutes as you peel and cube the pumpkin.

In a deep saucepan, heat the oil on a low flame and add the diced (or crushed) garlic, then go in with the curry powder (I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean) and stir well. Cook on VERY low for 3-5 minutes. It will go darker and grainy.. this step will cook off the ‘raw’ curry taste and bloom the spices which makes up a good curry blend. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and stir well at this point as well.

Toss in the seasoned shrimp, turn up the heat to med/high and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Coat with the curry base. then remove the shrimp and set aside. We’ll finishing cooking them later. In the same bowl you seasoned the shrimp add a couple table spoons of water and stir, then add to the pot. This will deglave the pan and allow the pumpkin to coat with the curry easier.

It’s now time to add the cubed pumpkin to the pot and stir well to coat with the curry that’s still in the pot.

Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. The pumpkin will naturally sprout it’s own natural juices. Once it starts boiling, add the brown sugar, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes – stir every 5 minutes or so. (lid on)

If you wanted you could add any of your fav herbs and some diced onion to the pot for additional flavor. Remove the lid and using the back of your spoon.. crush the pumpkin so it becomes more smooth. Yes, it should be soft at this point. It’s now time to burn off the extra liquid, so crank up the heat and cook for a few minutes.

As most of the liquid burns off, you can now add back the shrimp and stir well. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly as your salt appreciation will be different than mine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and you’re done.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin, especially with a pile of piping hot buss up shut roti and a side of kuchela! If you wanted to do this recipe fully vegan, you can always leave out the shrimp and add the pumpkin when I added the shrimp.. add a bit of coconut milk for extra flavor.

Desserts

Simple Soursop Ice Cream.

August 4, 2016August 4, 20164 Comments

My dad is a BOSS at making homemade ice cream from the many local tropical fruits we had growing in our yard and to this day he still relies on his old hand-crank ice cream maker (aka ice cream pail). According to him, the electric machines just can’t get the consistency correct. Besides coconut, making soursop was his next favorite flavor to make for us. Ice cream making was a sort of weekend tradition, especially when relatives were visiting. As kids we would listen for the sort of labored sound the ‘pail’ would make (as it froze), as we knew it was almost time to enjoy the delightful frozen treat.

While I don’t have access to fresh ripe soursop since I no longer call the Caribbean home, I’ll show you a simple trick to mimic the lovely flavor of traditional soursop ice cream no matter where in the world you’re based.

You’ll Need…

4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups soursop juice
1 lime (zest)
Optional (vanilla or almond extract)

The trick about using soursop juice is to heighten the overall flavor as fresh soursop would typically do in such ice cream. In a pot bring the 4 cups of juice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let that go until it’s reduced in volume by about half. This will intensify the soursop flavor. Put it aside to cool as we work on the sort of custard.

As you remove the reduction off to the side to cool down, grate in about 3/4 of the lime zest.

Put the heavy cream on a medium flame and bring to a gentle boil. In the meantime you can add the the egg yolks (yes one broke so the image will show 3 viable) along with the sugar in a bowl and whisk. Give it a go for about 3-5 minutes to break down the sugar and to get it fully combine – it will go pale in color.

It’s now time to bring everything together. Temper the egg/sugar mixture with some of the warm milk and whisk as you drizzle in the cream, so you don;t end up with cooked/scrambled eggs. Do so until the egg mixture is warm and thoroughly combined. Now add it (whisk as you do) to the pot with the rest of the simmering cream. Give that a good mix and allow to come back to a gentle boil.

It will thicken.. that’s what we want. Now add in the soursop reduction and continue whisking. The idea is to have it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. When that happens, remove it off the stove, grate in the remaining lime zest and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. This will make it easier for your ice cream maker.

When it’s fully chilled it’s just a matter of pouring the base into your machine and working it according to your machine’s directions. With mine, it took about 25 minutes to make into ice cream. However I like emptying the finished ice cream into a plastic container (with a lid) and placing it in the freezer to firm up a bit more (about 2 hrs). BTW you can enjoy this immediately.. I just like a more firm texture.

While nothing can replace the traditional way of making this ice cream from fresh sourpsop, this is one of those recipes people who don’t have access to the real deal, will be thankful for. Yes, I can get soursop here in Canada from time to time, but it’s usually $8-$10/lb and the quality is usually terrible (rock hard). With the insanely HOT summer we’ve been experiencing this year, I’m hoping to share a couple more ice cream recipes with you. Up next… Pina Colada!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Grilled Geera Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025July 27, 2016Leave a Comment

As we close off another successful year of July’s Month Of Grilling, I’d like to take a traditional recipe for making Geera Pork and tailor it for the grill. Geera (cumin) Pork is one of those food/snacks you normally associate with enjoying big-people beverages and can be classed as a ‘cutters’. As you’d find Tapas in Spain, we have ‘cutters’ in the Southern Caribbean. To help the pork tenderize without having to cook for an hour plus and to add a bit of a fruity balance to the fiery scotch bonnet kick in the kebabs, we’ll employ the use of a ripe pineapple.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs pork (cubed)
1 tablespoon ground cumin (geera)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (diced fine)
1 medium pineapple
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic (smashed)
* abt 6 Skewers (bamboo or metal)

* If using chicken instead of the cubed pork, only marinate for a couple hours in the fridge before grilling. If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

I used a cheap cut of pork with a bit of marbling/fat, but I did trim off any areas where there were too much fat. Cube the same size pieces (about 1 inch), wash with water and the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and drain/pat dry.

Place the pieces of pork in a large bowl, then add all the ingredients, except the cubed pineapple.

Now add the cubed pineapple and mix well. I used my hands as I like to crush the edges of the pineapple to help release some of it’s juice. We need the enzyme from the pineapple/juice to work as a natural meat tenderizer. Seal with plastic wrap or place in a sturdy zipper bag and marinate in the fridge overnight.

When it’s time to grill, soak your bamboo skewers in cool water for a couple hours, then thread on the pieces of pork and pineapple as you would normally make a kebab. Since there are raw pieces of scotch bonnet pepper in the marinated pork, I’d recommend using gloves for the process and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

I grilled this off on a very hot charcoal flame. Though they were placed directly over the heat, I had them elevated so we didn’t burn the Geera or natural sugars from the pineapple.

I grilled them elevated for about 15-20 minutes, then I went directly over the heat source the final 10 minutes. HOWEVER, do keep an eye on them as they may tend to char very easily. Remember to flip them around for even cooking. Slightly charred bits are ok!

You can personalize this dish by adjusting the amounts of salt, scotch bonnet and cumin you use and you can always cook longer if you wish. I must admit that though I’m not a huge fan of the traditional Geera Pork, this grilled version with the pieces of pineapple is absolutely delicious. NOTE! Traditionalists.. I’d recommend using roasted ground geera for the dark color and STRONG cumin flavor you’d be looking for.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Jerk Burger.

October 25, 2016July 21, 20165 Comments

Last weekend I was asked “what’s your specialty?” in reference to what I cook and without hesitation I said it’s not so much a dish or category of food, but technique. As we continue July’s Month Of Grilling, I’m sure you can tell that I quite enjoy working with the raw heat of the grill. The essence of the fire changes the overall dish in such a manner that’s almost impossible to duplicate on a stove or oven. While we’re not using pimento wood to give the burgers that unique “Jamaican Jerk” depth, I assure you that you’ll be amazed by what a simple jerk marinade can do to basic ground beef.

If you follow me on twitter, the ‘I just had the best burger” tweet was this!

You’ll Need…

1 lb ground beef
3 small scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 lemon (juice + zest)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/5 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 Pineapple sliced.

NOTE: If doing these jerk burgers gluten free, do pay close attention to the list of ingredients… especially the Soy Sauce to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Grate the ginger and finely chop the thyme, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper. Be mindful that you can use less of that scotch bonnet pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat. While jerk is supposed to be spicy, you can also remove the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds to help control that heat. BE sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Add all the ingredients in a bowl (except the ground beef) and give it a good mix to combine. You may wonder if you can puree this in a blender or food processor, but I prefer to have it chopped instead, so you gets hits of flavor with each bite.

Reserve a 1/4 of the marinade and pour the rest over the ground beef and mix well. Allow this to marinate for about 15 minutes before making the individual beef patties (makes 4 burgers). Form the burgers and place in the fridge to firm up a bit so they don’t fall apart on the grill. I do NOT use eggs or bread crumbs in my burgers.

As they firm up in the fridge, peel and slice your pineapple and marinate with the marinade we reserved.

All you have to do now is brush your HOT grill with veg oil (so the burgers don’t stick) and grill as you’d normally grill your burgers. I placed them over direct heat and had the pineapple slices gently warm through away from the direct heat. BTW, in the image below you’ll notice that I poured the marinade from the pineapple slices over the burgers so it wouldn’t waste.

I grilled the burgers for about 10-15 minutes, flipping them occasionally. After I moved the burgers, I placed the pineapple slices over the direct heat for about -3-5 minutes to help get the sugars out.

That natural smoke from the charcoal fire added some of the elements the pimento wood would bring to the jerk game, but you can certainly grill these on a propane grill with much success. The same cane be said for cooking these off indoors in a frying pan or indoor grill plate. The bold flavors from the spices and herbs will be enough to elevate these burgers no matter where or how they are cooked.

Back to what’s my specialty.. I don’t specialize in BBQ or grilling, but it brings me the most joy. BUT.. I hate that smoke (and sort of greasy feeling) on my face though!