Hudson Valley Smokehouse Sliders
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds freshly ground beef chuck
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9 slices smoked country style bacon (thick sliced)
Smokehouse Onions:
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle pepper sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Colavita extra virgin olive oil
1 Yellow Globe onion, peeled and very thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Oil to brush the grill
18 slider rolls (such as Pepperidge Farms Slider mini sandwich rolls)
8 ounces Hudson Valley Camembert Cheese (such as Old Chatham Sheepherding)
6 Romaine Lettuce Leaves, coarsely chopped
3 large plum tomatoes, each cut into 12 slices
Instructions:
Preheat a gas grill to medium high heat.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 18 equal sized patties, cover and set aside.
Cook the bacon slices directly on the grill rack until crispy, watching carefully to avoid burning the bacon from flare ups.
Whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a fireproof skillet on the grill over medium high heat; add the onions, salt and pepper. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce mixture and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and browned-about 20-30 minutes; keep warm while preparing the patties.
Lightly brush the grill rack with oil. Place the rolls on the grill rack cut sides down to lightly toast.
Place the patties on the grill rack and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip the patties using a spatula and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes for medium rare or continue cooking until desired doneness. Remove the patties from the grill and immediately top each with a portion of the Camembert cheese, evenly dividing.
To assemble the sliders, place a few pieces of the Romaine lettuce on the bottom half of each toasted roll, top with 2 tomato slices followed by the patties, cheese side up. Place a half a slice of bacon over the cheese on each patty and then spoon a generous amount of the onions over each, top with the remaining roll halves and serve.
(Yield: 6 servings-3 sliders per serving)