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you welcome in Clubhouse eatsWhere we celebrate the tastiest food and drinks in the game. I hope you have brought your appetite.
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It’s June, and with the seasons (and weather) beginning to slip into summer, it’s only fitting that we focus on the sliders—those made with ground beef and roasted on the grill, especially.
For guidance, we sought the advice of Ed Doyle, RealFood’s president of Hospitality, Strategy and Design, who incidentally also depicts all of the foods in RealFood. Golfzon Social in West Nyack, New York. According to Doyle, since sliders are essentially miniature burgers, there are still a lot of the same steps and tricks you’ll use to cook a great burger. For this reason, our recent burger column is an excellent place to start.
To make the perfect slider pie, Doyle urges any home cook to use a lean enough beef blend—he likes an 80/20 batter. “Like everything related to cooking, start with great ingredients,” he says. “Fresh beef on your patties will always be better than pre-frozen slider patties.”
When it’s ready to grill, Doyle cooks the sliders over medium-high heat, but not before he’s seasoned them well. “Lots of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper is crucial,” he says.
He also urges every home cook to use a digital meat thermometer, regardless of a grilling expert’s experience or skill level. “Every time I throw a steak or a burger on the grill, I use a probe,” he explains. “Why? Because I love him perfectly every time!”
Finally, just as you would with a full-size burger, Doyle stresses the importance of letting the meat rest after it comes off the grill. Fortunately, sliders do not require much time in this regard. “A minute or two of resting,” he says, “will allow all the natural juices to redistribute within the pie before you take your first bite.”