Cheddar Bacon Sliders with Angry Orchard BBQ Sauce

We’ve been on a burger kick lately.  I’m not completely sure why.  Perhaps it’s encouraged by recipes, such as this one sent to me by Angry Orchard.  I mean how can you not grill something titled: Cheddar Bacon Sliders with Angry Orchard BBQ Sauce & Charred Jalapeño Relish?!  Just those 11 words alone make me salivate, while simulatneously triggering a Pavlovian response to fire up the grill.

It’s easy to see why.  Cooking with cider, or beer for that matter, is fun for two reasons: First, it adds a unique flavor profile to the recipe.  Second, recipes seldom call for an entire can or bottle (Translation: more to drink.)

While there is a lot to this recipe, it is well worth the effort.  Just make sure you have some time to grill it in the near future.  After reading through it, your senses will demand it!

Cheddar Bacon Sliders with Angry Orchard BBQ Sauce & Charred Jalapeño Relish

By Angry Orchard Cider adapted by Another Pint Please

Makes 10 sliders

BBQ Sauce

2 t ground black pepper

6 gloves of garlic, minced

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 t ground cinnamon

2 T ground chipotle peppers

3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

2 cups Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider

3 cups apple-cider vinegar

1 12 ounce can tomato puree

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 t liquid smoke

2 T kosher salt

Relish

8 jalapeño peppers

1 cup pickled jalapeño pepper slices

1 T Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 t finely ground black pepper

2 t fresh cilantro, minced

1 t freshly squeezed lime juice

Burgers

12 oz ground beef

12 oz ground smoked bacon

8 oz  shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

King’s Hawaiian savory butter dinner rolls, split in half

Tip: To save time, make the sauce and relish days ahead.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized pan.  

Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.  Once cool, remove the bay leaf and smooth the sauce with an immersion blender.  

Over direct medium heat, grill the jalapeños.  

Rotate the peppers so that the skin of the peppers evenly chars and blisters.  Once done, remove the peppers from the grill and place in a bowl.  Seal the bowl with plastic wrap to allow the peppers to steam. Once the peppers have cooled, remove from the bowl and remove the charred skin.  

De-seed the peppers, trim off the ribs, and coarsely chop.

Place the jalapeños in a food processor with the remaining relish ingredients.  

Pulse several times until coarsely blended.  Set aside.

Mix together the ground beef, bacon, and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  As usual, I used my Kitchen Aid mixing attachment to grind both the meat and the bacon.  

When it comes to ground beef, I like to be the one turning the crank.

Roll the meat into 10 equal sized balls.  

Smash the balls between your hands to form patties.

Place a dimple in the bottom side of the burgers to prevent swelling (aka Dad Burgers) on the grill.

Prep the grill for medium-high direct heat.

Since these patties contain cheese, be prepared for flare-ups.  While the cheese is a great addition to the burgers, it also makes for tricky grilling.  Stay vigilant!

Grill the burgers about 4 minutes a side, flipping once.  

Grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 F with an instant-read thermometer.

Grill the buns, cut side down, over direct heat for approximately 30 seconds a side.

Remove the burgers and buns from the grill.

Place a burger on the bottom part of the bun and top with the sauce and relish.  Serve.

If spicy foods are not in your wheelhouse, watch out here.  Both the sauce and the relish pack a little bit of a punch.  If spicy foods are your thing, get ready for seconds.

The bacon and cheese give the burgers and extra surge of moisture while the use of sweet King's Hawaiian rolls plays nicely off of the heat of the accoutrements.  

The sauce makes about 4 cups, so there is plenty not only for this recipe, but BBQ to come.  I can’t wait to re-deploy it.  

The Crisp Apple Angry Orchard is a great addition to this recipe and as I knew, a little Angry Orchard in the dish means a little more in my glass at dinner.

Note:  Angry Orchard provided me with a few cans of Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider and the recipe.  My friends there know I am easily motivated to grill!