For the Contentment of Coffey

A colleague and guest Bistrovian has been bugging me for a miniburger/slider recipe, as if I've even come close to getting it right. Don't you know by now that I've been a late bloomer my whole life? Anywhere, here's the download:

You want to get some meat. I've done two experiments, one with two kinds of ground sirloin (half the regular stuff, the other half grass-fed), and the other with half chuck (yes, the fatty kind, cheaper) and half sirloin (grass-fed, more spendy). It varied the second time because the butcher refused to accept that a flavorful burger could be done without some fat. Now that I've tried them both, I can't say which I like more. Give me a couple more years.

Where was I? Oh yes, you get a good pound or two of quality beef together. Season it with some salt (if you're ready to cook), fresh ground pepper, a few squirts of soy sauce, a dollop of teriyaki, a dash of cumin, a couple cloves of finely chopped garlic. What else? Worcesteshire sauce. Why the hodgepodge? Well, because you want lots of flavor in a small package. Knead.

Make little meatballs in the palms of your hands, a bunch of them, and put them on a cutting board or broad dish. Then, and this is key, you want to press down on the meatball and flatten it. Trial and error will help you see whether your meatball should be smaller or larger, and whether your minipatties should be thinner or thicker.

Cook 'em as you'd cook any burger, in a pan right on the stove. I'm sure they would brown nicely in a George Foreman; I have a panini press, but I haven't tried them in there. Set them aside until you're ready to assemble, because now you want to make a little sauce.

In the same pan you've made the burgers, turn the heat back on and pour in some red wine. Then add a bit of butter and, if you have them, chopped shallots. Scrape a few browned bits from the bottom and let the booze reduce. When you have a consistency you like (a little runny is good), transfer your sauce into a small bowl.

For the buns, I recommend brioche from the Bay Boulangerie. They're a little much, but they're so delicious and just the right size. (Whole Foods and such stock them, but sometimes not the tiny ones.) Cut them in half (keep track of the pairs) and toast them a bit.

Assembly: Line a few buns up on a counter or working surface. If you like mayo, start by spreading some on the bottom of the top caps. Take the cooked minipatties and place them on the lower half of the brioche. With a spoon, ladle a little wine sauce on the meat. Add a slice of Roma tomato, and you're done. I'm open to suggestions on presentation.