Yummy-Yum Cha Sliders

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

Houston’s diverse Asian culture streams an ample amount of restaurants that include a weekend lunch favorite, Dim Sum. Rolling carts of small Chinese edible delights “touch the heart”. Yum Cha translates into the dining session while sipping tea. These Yummy- Yum Cha sliders are reminiscent of flavors and delicious morsels wheeled to your table of friends and family. Add a touch of Southern Hospitality and enjoy these sliders with a glass of iced tea.

Ingredients:

For the Quick Pickled Vegetables:
2 carrots sliced diagonally
2 cups Napa cabbage, cut into sections the size of rolls
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Hot Chili Lime Aioli:
2 teaspoon hot chili oil
2 teaspoon lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup mayonnaise

For the Patties:
2 ¼ lbs ground chuck
½ cup Shitake mushroom caps, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
¾ cup green onions chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon white wine
1 orange

18 quail eggs
4 tablespoon vegetable oil, reserve 2 tablespoons for greasing grill
18 King’s Hawaiian Sweet rolls, split in half

Instructions:

Preheat gas grill to high heat.

To make the quick pickled cabbage and carrots, whisk rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic in a medium sized bowl. Add carrots, cabbage, and onions to the dressing mixture. Then toss with sesame seeds and cilantro. Cover and set aside in a cool place.

To make the lime hot chili aioli, mix mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and hot chili oil in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the patties, add shitake mushrooms, ginger, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine to ground chuck. Zest orange over surface of mixture making sure to distribute evenly. Mix well without handling the meat too much to avoid compacting it. Using a 2 ounce ice cream scooper, make 18 balls.

Place large frying pan on top of grill. Add 1-2 tablespoon oil to pan and fry 6 eggs at a time. Cook eggs until they are set over medium or desired doneness. Set aside until assembly. Decrease gas grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the slider patties on the rack and mash down gently with a spatula. Cook turning once until done to preference, 2-3 minutes on each side for medium. Place the rolls split side down on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble sliders, spread both halves of rolls with the lime hot chili aioli. On each roll bottom, place a patty, equal portions of picked vegetables. Top with one quail egg and finish assembly with remaining roll half.

Makes 18 sliders, 6 servings