I'm a burger girl. Always burgers over hot dogs. Burgers over chicken. On a bun or sliced bread; super fancy, or traditional and simple. Any way you serve them, I'm a fan.
Now, there's an age-old argument about how burgers should be cooked - on the pit or inside, gas or charcoal, etc, etc. But I'm not particular. Some of my fondest memories growing up revolve around Saturday evening "red burger" night, where my dad would basically smoke beef burgers in his handmade charcoal pit until they were a gorgeous red color (but fully cooked). But now I often cook my medium-rare burgers in a black cast iron skillet on my stove and manage to get all the love into those little patties that my sun-kissed, white-haired summer-loving daddy always did.
So as my summer preparations began (no my pool still isn't ready, but my yard is looking better), I started thinking a lot about burgers. Baseball in the backyard, running around barefoot, it's only natural. There's only one problem - my kids aren't fans. I know right? They're hot dogs over burgers, chicken over burgers, sliced bread or buns, they don't care, they don't want them! My friend had a great idea that seemed to do the trick, miniaturize them! Now why didn't I think of that? Kids love mini things...not sure what the logic is there but they do. So armed with some toasted King's Hawaiian rolls (they preferred the savory to the sweet) and a smorgasbord of toppings we finally had our own version of burger night - daddy would've been proud...even though my burgers weren't red, they were a homerun!
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Beef sliders with bacon, blue cheese & fried onions
Ingredients
1 lb 80/20 ground beef (we mixed in ground pork for some & wow!)
Worcestershire sauce
Salt, black pepper, red pepper
2 TBS chopped up, cold butter - optional (this will melt into the burgers adding to their deliciousness - small burgers tend to dry out pretty quickly, this will help)
King's Hawaiian rolls (there are other options, but these are killer)
Toppings! - anything from cheeses to lettuce & tomato, to salad dressings (we used blue cheese), sauces & salsas, and lagniappe (like french fried onions, pickles or chow mein noodles). Remember that the key to a successful burger is lots of different textures!
Directions
- Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) on the stove - medium to medium-high heat
- Preheat oven to 350º - we will toast our bread & finish our burgers in the oven
- Prepare patties by mixing in chopped cold butter (optional) and Worcestershire sauce to your likeness - less is more
- Season the patty on the outside - the salt & pepper combo will make an awesome crust and lock in the juices
- Place small batches of patties on the hot surface and allow to sear without moving - at least 1 minute. Flip and do the same to the other side before putting them on a cookie sheet to finish in the oven
- Cook for a few minutes, remove, and allow to rest while you assemble your ingredients & toast the buns - this will only take 2-3 minutes
- Build you're masterpiece & enjoy!
