A Better Burger, Part II

There was some leftover ground beef from last night, and I needed lunch. Another burger? Sure. But I wasn't feeling like another one those decadent bacon-and-two-patties burgers. I wanted something spicy.

It just so happened that I had a habanero cheddar in the fridge. Now, normally when a habanero product appears on this blog, it is from a restaurant or fast food place, and it isn't the least bit spicy. Domino's "Sweet Mango Habanero" sauce that I wrote about last week is a prime example of this: all sweet, no heat. (Just like the "Asian Habanero Sauce" from 7-11 that I tried in March, but I'm pretending that never happened.) Carl's Jr.'s Habanero Bacon Cheeseburger had zero heat to it, but at least it was tasty.

This cheese, however, is nothing like those items. It is spicy. Of course, it helps that actual habanero peppers are present, which can't be said for any of those other lame products. I cut off one small sliver when I bought the cheese and tasted it; my tongue immediately started burning.

So I had to put some on this burger.

Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos...why not?

I cooked the burger patty, melting the cheese on top for the last two minutes, then topped it with pepperoncini and the Cheetos. Then the coup de grâce: I drizzled it with "Belizean Heat" habanero hot sauce that my buddy Zach brought back for me from Belize last month.

Surprisingly, it was not as hot as I was expecting. It was spicy, sure, but also very flavorful. I had been bracing myself for an uncomfortable - painful, perhaps - blast of spice, but this was actually... delicious. I ate every bite without needing a drink. Obviously, next time I have to make it spicier.