Merkén is the quinessential spice of the Mapuche Indians who populate the southern province in Chile, La Araucanía, about 10 hours south of the capital, Santiago. Cacho de cabra red chilis, shaped like plump, curved fingers, are dry smoked and coarsely ground. Some renditions also add sea salt and cilantro seeds. Merkén is, in my opinion, Chile’s grand contribution to the global spice rack. Smoky like a chipotle but without the bite, it adds piquant and earthy depth to grilled fish, ceviche, seafood, pork, chicken, and is magical when tossed with oven roasted potatoes. Being a chili junkie, it is my preferred seasoning to give anything a kick—so I will add to that list scrambled eggs, mashed avocado, bean soup, and even pasta.
This recipe was born of a hankering yesterday for burgers; undoubtedly subconsciously programmed as an American for Memorial Day and the cook outs. In this case, I experimented with dark ground meat which has a slightly higher fat content (6% v. 2% for breast). The result was a juicy, moist burger. I cooked these babies up in a fry pan although they would be even tastier on a gas grill with some flames for flavor.
All they need are some oven-fried frites and a green salad for a perfect outside lunch.
1 pound/450g ground turkey
½ medium onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided in two parts
1 egg, beaten
½ cup whole wheat dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Merkén Spice Rub (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces firm goat cheese, thinly shaved
Sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped for garnish
In a frying pan, heat half the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, until “raw” flavor disappears and appearance is translucent.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey with the fried onion, egg, dried bread crumbs, Spice rub, salt, and pepper to taste. Using your hands, form into four individual patties.
Heat the frying pan with the remaining olive oil—or if you have a gas grill, heat to medium-high. Add the patties and brown for 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook through, approximately another 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness.
Before serving, add the goat cheese on top of the burgers to melt. Garnish with sundried tomatoes and serve.
Yield: 4-5 hamburgers
Merkén Spice Rub
1 tablespoon merkén (substitute: crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne—you will loose the Smoky component though)
1 teaspoon ground sea salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
Combine all ingredients.
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Great post! Just wanted to let you know you have a new subscriber- me!
Thanks Andrew! I appreciate it. All the best, Liz
Thanks for the recipe. I was in Chile late last year and Merken was one of the treasures I found there. I brought back as much as I could and am starting to get more adventurous with it’s usage. Any suggerstions as to where it can be found? My supply is beginning to run low! I am in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and haven’t found anything yet.
Whole Foods stocks Chilean Gourmet Merken, which is great. Artisan made and supports the families who make it. They are also in some other places, check out the website: http://www.chileangourmet.cl
Also, it is on Amazon.com so you can order it that way. It is the one spice I cannot live without. I use it on everything and my maid makes this delicious “pebre” with it: chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, a little red wine vinegar, a little water, a little olive oil and 2 heaping tablespoons merken. Spruces up any dish.
Good luck!
I think Chileans like to debate the origin because of neighborhood rivalry. For me, it is obvious where it comes from (and I like the Peruvian pisco way better). However, I think each drink is its own creation and valid.
Piscola is nasty. It was the “partying” drink here and after a year in college here in 97-98, I cannot even smell it. The name however cracks me up.
Cheers!
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