dumplings with jerk sauce

The question – What is Jerk… not in life (we all know at least one of those!) but in cooking?  The answer – Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica. Jerk seasoning mostly depends on the inclusion of two items: allspice and Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers. Other ingredients may include cloves, cinnamon, green onions, thyme, and garlic. When serving a crowd, I often substitute jalapeño for the habanero, since you never know what people’s tolerance is for overly spicy foods.

The shredded beef that I used was the leftover pot roast from a post from a couple of days ago. If you don’t have such a thing hanging about, most grocery stores sell prepared pot roast in their meat department or deli.

When assembling the dumplings, lay about one dozen of the wrappers on the counter at a time, place the filling in the center of each, but only brush and seal 3 or 4 at a time. The dumplings may be made up to one day ahead. To do so; lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with cornstarch and place the filled and sealed dumplings on the sheet, lightly sprinkle the dumpling tops with more cornstarch and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with another layer or two, sprinkling each with the cornstarch to keep them from sticking. Refrigerate until ready to fry.

Jamaican Beef Dumplings with Jerk Sauce

Sauce
3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 jalapeño or habanero pepper, seeded
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Dumplings
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound cooked shredded beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco sauce
12-ounce package wonton wrappers (about 48)
3 to 4 cups vegetable oil

Sauce: Place green onion, thyme, jalapeño, and garlic in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add brown sugar, oil, soy sauce, and allspice and process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Dumplings: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and then green onion, onion, curry powder, thyme, and allspice; cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef and cook until meat is just warmed about 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Cool to room temperature.

Put a small mound of filling in the center of each wrapper. Lightly brush the edges of each wrapper with water, then fold in half diagonally and press to seal completely. (see do-ahead instructions above)

Heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a large deep skillet. Fry dumplings in batches, turning once, until golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

Pour the jerk sauce into a bowl, place it on a serving platter, and surround it with the dumplings.

Makes  48