The big aspect for

Madison-area lifer Jason Beilke is the knife and brains behind Jason’s Jerk. Growing up in Monona, Jason recalls experimenting with the food at Cousins Subs when he was working there at age 13. It’s a philosophy that has always been central to his cooking. “The big aspect for me is fun,” says Jason. “I never really follow the rules too well.” But you gotta know the rules to breaks the rules, so Jason went to culinary school at Madison College and gained a better understanding of how he could go his own way.

When Jason’s Jerk opened at the height of COVID in 2020, there were a lot of question marks in the air, but the proof is in the rice bowls and tacos. “Our most popular item would be the Classic Bowl. It’s just my take on a rice bowl. It’s coconut lime rice and red beans. You get your choice of chicken, pork, shrimp, or sweet potato. Jerk sauce, mango salsa, cilantro, and then the little tortilla gets fried then cut up.”

If you’re familiar with Caribbean cooking, you probably noticed Jason said sweet potato and not yams. It’s one of the little things he does to make it his own. “I also add a little bit of sesame oil in my sauce, which isn’t really from America or the Caribbean, but I think it adds a nice kind of nuttiness to the finished product.” He also uses a mix of hickory, apple, and cherry wood when smoking his meats to mimic the traditional pimento wood.

One noteworthy aspect of Jason’s menu that doesn’t come from his kitchen are the tortillas. They come from Tortilleria Zepeda in Lone Rock and make up the second-most-popular item at Jason’s Jerk: the tacos. “The corn flavor goes with the pork really well. The cilantro. A little bit of sweetness from the mango salsa. Same with the sweet potato.”

And then there’s the namesake ingredient. The jerk sauce. “To me, it’s what makes my food more Jamaican than anything else I do, not so much the types of dishes I’m putting together.” It’s what I think is the true testament to fusion food, the ability to bring a new flavor to something familiar. By making his food more approachable, elements like the jerk sauce work as a gateway for patrons to dive into Caribbean cuisine on their own between their visits to Jason’s Jerk. If it hasn’t happened yet, Jason and likeminded chefs will make using the word fusion to describe combining foods from different cultures cool again.

Thanks to the reception of food carts by Madisonians, fresh opportunities for thoughtful menu experimentation encourage new and established chefs to challenge themselves in ways no other format can. Best of all, both chefs and patrons reap the benefits.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer/editor taking each day a week at a time.

Braisin’ Hussies Food Cart braisinhussies.com

Capitol Square Lunch: Main Street near King Street

Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Dane County Farmers’ Market: intersection of State, Mifflin, and Carroll Streets

Jason’s Jerk facebook.com

/TheOriginalJasonsJerk & Instagram @jasons_jerk

Library Mall Lunch:

Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Dane County Farmers’ Market