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Chattanooga: Minihamburgers called sliders are popular as late-night snacks

By: Anne Braly
(Contact)

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Brad Grafton

Folks at the Fairyland Club are trying to create the perfect slider, food slang for a snack-sized sandwich.

“It’s just a greasy, after-hours sandwich,” said Brad Grafton, executive chef at the Fairyland Club.

Mr. Grafton’s quest to build the perfect snack sandwich began about a year ago when he and other members of the club staff began noticing that guests at wedding receptions and other late parties would send someone down the mountain to bring back Krystal hamburgers.

“They’d get 100 to 200 at a time,” he said. “So we asked ourselves, ‘Why don’t we take a shot at serving them?’”

Mr. Grafton grew up in Columbus, Ohio, headquarters of White Castle burgers, the nation’s first mini-burger chain.

“That’s the home of the slider,” he noted.

White Castle came on the burger scene in 1921, followed by Krystal in 1932. But it wasn’t until 1994 that White Castle coined the term “slider,” Mr. Grafton said.

“I really don’t know how you could put a patent on that one,” he said.

And you can’t. You’ll find small burgers on menus in restaurants around the country, including Ruby Tuesday and T.G.I. Fridays. And while Fairyland Club has them on their late-night menu only, at large chains, small burgers are an all-day affair.

“We serve them throughout the day and have gotten a great response to them since we put them on the menu,” said Brian Doyle, T.G.I. Friday’s general manager.

Originally, Friday’s offered three sliders, all variations on the burger. Just recently, a new barbecue/bacon burger has been added to the menu, along with a chicken Parmesan on ciabatta bread with marinara sauce and provolone cheese.

“I think people like them so much because of three things: the portion size, the cost factor and the fact that they’re trendy,” Mr. Doyle said.

Mr. Grafton said there are a few tricks to making a good miniburger. First, you don’t want the leanest ground beef. Fat is part of the recipe.

And what makes them really good is putting them on a Sister Schubert roll. “They’re one of the best inventions ever,” Mr Grafton said of the Troy, Ala.,-based company.

The patties need be no bigger than the size of a small palm, experts say. They need to be cooked first in a skillet just until they’re brown on both sides and still rare in the center. Place them on a roll that’s been slathered with a pickle relish-mustard combination, top them with a slice of cheese and the top roll.

Brush the tops of the rolls with butter, place a heavy skillet on top and bake to finish cooking. Then let them slide down your throat.

“We have three night weddings coming up, and the couples have ordered as many as 300 sliders to serve to late-night reception guests,” Mr. Grafton said.

“You know, if you eat six or more, they say you’re considered a slider pilot,” he added. “Use your imagination on that one.”

The Slider

This is Chef Brad Grafton’s version of a slider.

1 pound ground chuck

1 part freshly ground pepper

1 part freshly ground fennel seeds

5 parts kosher salt

Equal parts Dijon mustard and minced kosher dill pickle

American cheese slices

Put ground chuck in large bowl. Combine pepper, fennel seeds and kosher salt and mix with ground chuck. Form ground chuck into small patties and cook on a flat griddle till just browned on both sides and rare in the center. Combine mustard and pickle relish and spread on bottom of each roll. Place meat patties on rolls and top with a slice of American cheese. Put top on rolls and place in pan, then brush tops with melted butter. Top with a heavy skillet or pan to weight rolls down. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. The slider should be greasy, flat, stuck together and delicious.

Onion Sliders

1 pound ground beef

1 package onion soup mix

11/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 (71/2-ounce) packages Pepperidge Farm party rolls

Dill pickle slices (optional)

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add soup mix, blending well. Stir in cheese and mayonnaise. Cook on low heat until cheese is melted. Cut rolls in half and place about a spoonful of meat mixture on each. Add pickles if desired.

Heat in preheated 325 F oven for 5 minutes to warm rolls, or heat in microwave oven. Makes 10 as a filling appetizer.

www.cooks.com

Mini Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola

Sliders go upscale with this recipe from www.rachaelraymag.com.

12 mini dinner rolls, split

1 garlic clove, halved

Extra-virgin olive oil for liberal drizzling

11/2 pounds ground sirloin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)

10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about a palmful)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups baby spinach, thinly sliced (a couple of generous handfuls)

3/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler to high. Place the rolls on a broiler pan and toast until golden. Rub with the garlic and drizzle with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef with the Worcestershire sauce, sage, shallot and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form 3 sliders from each piece, 12 mini sliders total.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the sliders for 3 minutes on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other side for medium.

Top each bun bottom with some spinach, a slider and a few cheese crumbles. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese a bit, about 30 seconds, then set the bun tops in place.

Bombay Sliders with Garlic Curry Sauce

Dinner rolls work well as buns for these mini burgers. Allow three burgers per person and top with tomato, red onion, and cucumber slices.

1 cup mayonnaise, divided

61/4 teaspoons curry powder, divided

11/2 tablespoons plain yogurt

11/2 tablespoons ketchup

1 garlic clove, minced

2 pounds ground turkey

6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced green onions

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon hot chili powder or Hungarian hot paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 small dinner rolls, cut horizontally in half, lightly toasted

Mix 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 21/4 teaspoons curry powder, and next 3 ingredients in small bowl for sauce. Let stand at room temperature while preparing sliders.

Place turkey, next 6 ingredients, remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 4 teaspoons curry powder in large bowl. Mix with fork or hands just until blended (do not overmix). Divide mixture into 12 equal portions. Using wet hands, form each portion into patty about 1/2-inch thick.

Preheat broiler or heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. If broiling patties, brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange patties on sheet. Broil (or cover patties in skillet and cook in batches) until cooked through, pressing patties down lightly with spatula before turning over, about 3 minutes per side (or 4 minutes per side if cooking in skillet).

Place patties on bottom halves of rolls. Top each patty with sauce. Cover with roll tops. Place 3 sliders on each of 4 plates and serve.

Bon Appetit

Meatball Sliders

Tomato sauce:

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

Meatballs:

3 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (6 slices firm white sandwich bread)

2/3 cup whole milk

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)

4 garlic cloves, minced

11/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (1/4 pound)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups vegetable oil

Rolls:

20 small (2-inch) soft buns or rolls, split

Make tomato sauce: Purée tomatoes with their juice, 1 can at a time, in a blender and transfer to a bowl. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onion until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomato purée, sugar, bay leaf, and 11/2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 40 to 50 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Make meatballs while sauce simmers: Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes. Add meat, garlic, cheese, eggs, parsley, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and blend with your hands until just combined well (do not overmix). Form level 1/4-cup portions into meatballs.

Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry meatballs, about 6 at a time, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon.

Add drained meatballs to tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are heated through. Assemble sliders with a meatball and 1 tablespoon sauce per bun, securing each with a wooden pick.

Cooks’ note: Meatballs in sauce can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat before serving.

Gourmet

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