Chef notes
Every time I'm in Los Angeles, I never leave with out eating at In-N-Out and indulging in the double-double burger "animal style." These delicious burger sliders transport my taste buds to the West Coast.
Technique tip: Ensure the grill or griddle is very hot to get a great sear on the burger patties.
Swap option: You can add different liquors, liqueurs, sodas and beverages to the bacon jam to create different flavor profiles.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup minced bread-and-butter pickles
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- Salt, to taste
- 8 strips bacon
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup coffee
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
- 10 slices plum tomato
- 4 slices American cheese, cut in quarters
- 5 romaine lettuce leaves, cut in half crosswise
- 10 slider buns
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- "Fancy" sauce (recipe above)
- Bacon jam (recipe above)
Preparation
For the fancy sauce:
Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well incorporated.
For the bacon jam:
1.In a saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and let cool slightly. Leave the bacon fat in the pan. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, roughly chop and set aside.
2.Add the onions and garlic to the bacon fat over medium-high heat and sauté until caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Add bourbon to pan and reduce by half. Then add coffee and reduce by half.
3.Add the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and chopped bacon back to pan; bring to a boil then simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.
4.Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
5.Cool bacon jam to room temperature before serving.
For the sliders:
1.Preheat grill or griddle to medium-high heat and lightly oil grill grates.
2.Form the beef into ten 1-inch-thick slider-sized beef patties.
3.Season liberally with salt and black pepper on both sides of patty. Let patties rest 10 minutes.
4.Grill burgers to desired doneness, ensuring a hard sear on both sides. Add the cheese and let melt.
5.Place the patties on the bottom slider buns, top with bacon jam, sauce and lettuce, then close with top buns and serve.