NOTABLE EDIBLES SUMMER 2010

WOODHAVEN—Kenya Chasten, a nuclear medicine technologist by trade, is now in the hot sauce business. "We have been blamed for global warming with our sauce, but we take no credit for that," he says with a grin. Chasten is half of the Woodhaven-based husband-wife team behind Guyank Brand products. The company name, a mash-up of Guyana and Yankee, is explained on their peppery website as "the result of a 13-year chemical reaction gone good between a Guyanese woman and a Yankee man."

The woman in question is Kenya's wife, Keane, whose lovingly crafted Sweet-Hot Sauce blends habañeros and South American "mystery peppers" with green mangoes, brown mustard, carrots and onions. It's an unforgivingly spicy sauce, and it may take a bit for your ravaged tongue to notice the sweetness and the tang. "Mangoes for the sweet, peppers for the heat," quips Kenya.

In 2003 the Chastens entered their then-new signature sauce in the amateur division of the Scovie Awards, the international spicy foods competition. Though they knew "absolutely nothing" about the food industry, they knew how to make a mean hot sauce. In a classic underdog-wins-big story, the Chastens ended up placing third in the world, convincing them to bottle their sauce commercially.

Soon you could find Guyank Brand at farmers' markets around Long Island, specialty shops in Brooklyn and even one online store (www.tearsofjoysauces.com) in Texas. In 2005 the Chastens re-entered the Scovies, this time in the more rigorous professional division. Incredibly, they came in third again, with one major difference: They now had more than 600 competitors.

After the contest, Keane continued to use her passion and kitchen instincts to create a small portfolio of all-natural edibles for purchase, including the Cool-Hot HabanCran Jelly, which uses organic Cape Cod cranberries to neutralize its habañero kick (Kenya calls it the "antidote to hot sauce"), and a homemade mix for pulourie, a spicy East Indian hush puppy. She also sells a three-fruit barbecue marinade, a chili/citrus zest dry rub and a cheese spread made with the Sweet-Hot Sauce.

It's not just the product line that's expanding. The Chastens now rent a pay-by-the-hour industrial kitchen instead of working out of their home, they add new retailers regularly and they've even increased the size of their workforce: Son Joshua, 15, recently signed on for deliveries and sales.

ASTORIA—With tables recycled from storm-salvaged trees and a ceiling crafted with the tin of an old barn, Bareburger harbors an ethos that permeates the dining experience, attracting environmentalists and epicures alike. The six Greek founders—John, John, George, George, Eftychios and Euripides—bring the same socially conscious dedication to the décor as to the menu. For co-owner, former chef Euripides Pelekanos, there is only one approach: “If you’re gonna make a burger, it has to be made from organic meat. It’s a no-brainer.”

Each month, the one-year-young boutique burger restaurant uses 2,000–3,000 pounds of organic elk, ostrich, bison and beef. From ranch to restaurant, the transaction eschews industrialized factory farms, growth hormones and antibiotics, and promotes free-range, grass-fed animals. Ostrich (about 97% lean) and elk (90% lean) are richest in flavor, boasting textures comparable to beef. “They’re definitely adventurous, and not for everyone, but they’re phenomenal meats,” says Pelekanos.

Just six ounces of loosely packed ground meat are all that’s required for a Bareburger. “One, two, and that’s it,” Pelekanos demonstrates, tossing empty cupped hands back-and-forth as if shaping raw meat into a patty—culinary air guitar. If packed too tightly, the burger can be dry, dense and tasteless, with the consistency of meatloaf. To enhance its natural flavors, Pelekanos seasons his with salt, pepper, a top-secret blend of spices and “love” (what chef with a Greek mother would leave out this key ingredient?).

Because exotic meats are significantly lower in fat, they require a flat griddle instead of a flame broiler. The solid surface encourages the patties to reabsorb the succulent juices that otherwise drip off. The rest is simple: Sear one side for two minutes at 425°, flip it and cook the other side for 2½ minutes. Lean meat cooks in approximately 2/3 the time, so Bareburger recommends serving it medium rare to retain moisture. To finish, slap on the cheese (our expert favors the palatable punch of sharp Danish blue), cover the sizzling meat and dairy with a lid, squirt a bit of water underneath—allowing the inside of the patty to cook and the cheese to melt—and you’re in burger heaven.

Protein aside, a burger’s full personality is manifest in its toppings, of which Bareburger offers plenty: aged cheddar, imported Baby Swiss and other all-organic cheeses; fresh produce (lettuce, tomato, red onion, sautéed mushrooms); a healthful seven-grain or buttery brioche bun; carb-conscious lettuce wraps; and ketchup, BBQ sauce enriched with coffee or canola-based homemade mayo. All are organic or all-natural, of course, a distinction about which Bareburger’s founders boast freely.

“But at the end of the day,” Pelekanos humbly confides, “it’s still a burger and fries.”

Sweet Heat

Better Burger