Chinese spices blend well with Jamaican jerk
There really isn’t another restaurant in the city quite like Patois, the Jamaican-Chinese restaurant at 794 Dundas St. W. where chef and owner Craig Wong blends his Chinese heritage with his family’s Jamaican roots.
Wong was born in Scarborough in 1981, but his family goes back three generations on the island, with his dad coming from Kingston and his mom from Ocho Rios (both are of Chinese descent). Wong’s food is less of the classic Hakka-style chili chicken or Manchurian fish that for centuries have combined Chinese, island and Indian flavours, but rather a novel combination of the foods Wong grew up eating at home and in the suburbs.
Wong’s Likkle Soulja Sandwiches are the best examples of this. These are essentially Hong Kong-style mini pineapple buns with a homemade spiced Spam patty, housemade shawarma sauce, onions pickled in beet juice, seared pineapple and cilantro.
“There’s a lot of Asian, Middle Eastern and Jamaican influence in this dish,” says Wong. “The Chinese pineapple bun is a symbol of the Hong Kong-style bakeries from my childhood. The garlicky Lebanese toum sauce and the beet-stained pickled onions are reminiscent of all the shawarmas I’ve eaten, and the jerk Spam has Jamaican flavours.”
The Spam is a bit misleading because, unlike the traditional canned meat, Wong’s version is a more elevated version made of ground Black Forest ham mixed with potato starch and spices then cooked at 145 F (63 C) in an immersion circulator (think sous vide) for precisely one hour and 15 minutes.
It’s tender, juicy, less salty and fatty than Spam, similar to a fine mortadella. Although the whole dish sounds like a weird gimmick from the CNE midway, somehow it all works together and you’ll want to eat all three sliders rather than share them with the table.
The salty patty is given depth with a light brush of caramelized spicy jerk paste. The acidity of the pineapple and onions add a tartness to cut through the meat. The creamy shawarma sauce binds it all together and the pillowy house-made pineapple bun is toasted just slightly and has that addictive sugary crust that gives everything a sweet finish.
“I grew up eating Spam and Chinese luncheon meat, but I thought we could do something better at a restaurant,” he says.
To make this at home, Wong suggests using canned Spam and jerk paste (find it next to the jerk seasoning at the supermarket) to mask the tinned taste and to give the ham more depth and spice. Replace Shawarma sauce with store-bought Japanese kewpie mayo to duplicate that creamy, umami-rich flavour.
A quick-pickle red onion (essentially soaking onions in a vinegar-salt-sugar solution) will give an acidic bite. And, instead of making mini pineapple buns, pick up regular size ones at the Chinese bakery and upgrade the slider to a burger.
The one thing that you shouldn’t skimp on, says Wong, is Chinese five-spice (a mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Sichuan pepper) to season the pineapple.
“For the pineapple, I soak it in a mixture of simple syrup, five spice and lemongrass,” he says. “You don’t have to marinate the pineapple, but sprinkle a bit of the five-spice. It’s such a tasty blend that really accentuates your foods with an earthiness.”
The result? The home version hits all the right notes of the restaurant version, although Wong’s homemade Spam is admittedly more tender and juicy. It’s sweet, salty, spicy and crunchy, an unorthodox burger that tastes complex, but is easy to make and will leave your friends impressed by your culinary prowess.
Patois’ Likkle Soulja Sandwiches
Star Tested
1/2 cup (125 mL) white vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) table salt 1 tsp (5 mL) white sugar 2 large slices red onion, separated into rings 2 tsp (10 mL) jerk paste 4 slices Spam luncheon meat (about 1/4 inch thick) 2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil 2 slices canned pineapple 1/2 tsp (2 mL) Chinese five spice 2 Hong Kong-style pineapple buns, sliced open Kewpie mayonnaise, to taste 2 tbsp (15 mL) chopped cilantro leaves
In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt and sugar until everything has dissolved. Submerge onions in mixture and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In another bowl, brush Spam with jerk paste and marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
In a medium-sized pan, heat oil over medium heat. Sear Spam slices on each side until slightly browned and caramelized, about one minute per side. Set aside.
Season pineapple slices with five spice. Sear pineapple on pan over medium heat until lightly caramelized, about one minute per side.
Assemble burgers by layering on Spam, pineapple slices, pickled onion rings, Kewpie mayo and cilantro leaves in pineapple buns. Serve immediately.
Makes two servings.
Test Kitchen Tips
How to revive a stale bun: It’s always best to eat pineapple buns as soon as you buy them, but if you wait a day and the buns become stale, fear not! Revive them by warming them in the oven at a low 300 F (150 C) for about five minutes. The moisture in the bun turns to steam and rehydrates the bread. If the bun is really dry, spritz a tiny bit of water on the crust before warming it up. Jerk spice versus jerk paste: If you cannot find jerk paste, a dry jerk seasoning will work in a pinch but the reason why paste is used in this recipe is that the sugars will caramelize when it hits the pan, giving the Spam a slightly crispy and extra sweet crust. Common brands of jerk paste (sometimes it’s called jerk sauce) are Grace and Walkerswood. Use the mild stuff if you can’t handle a lot of spice: when the label says hot, it’s seriously hot. What should I do with all this five spice? Chances are you have quite a bit of five spice left over from this recipe (unless you just bought a spoonful at the bulk foods store). This is good timing, because all the components of five spice are heavily used in cold-weather dishes. Use the spice in slow-cooked pork and duck dishes such as a braise or barbecue ribs, add a pinch to apple and cran- berry sauces, and for the more adventurous, try adding a hint of it to hot chocolate or cookies. . . . And all this cilantro? Cilantro is a bit of a ticking time bomb in the fridge as the leaves wilt faster than most other herbs. First, extend the life of your cilantro by drying it in a salad spinner before storing it (all that misting in the supermarket leads to excess moisture, which can rot the leaves). Store the cilantro in a jar filled with a bit of water in the fridge with a plastic bag over the top. Use extra cilantro in salsa, guacamole, salads, brown rice bowls, potato salads and even cocktails. For the latter, infuse gin with cilantro, simple syrup and a squeeze of lime. karon.liu@gmail.com