Baby boigahs

New York Chef Gabrielle Hamilton spurned shrunken cocktail fare in her fabulous 2011 memoir Blood, Bones and Butter, but I remain a devotee of burgers-in-miniature. Little canvases that beg for creativity, baby burgers (sometimes called sliders, although there’s disagreement about this term), can be dressed up or down. Adults love them, and so do children. This is a confident little dish that’s comfortable perched on a garnished cocktail party platter or served with a bag of Zapp’s in front of the TV.

This week’s mini-burg from my kitchen: ground filet with fig preserves and goat brie. To assemble, ask your favorite meat cutter for a pound of ground filet trimmings. There should be plenty in our local supermarkets; this is party season and tenderloins figure large. It’s hard to beat the luscious flavor and respectable fat content here, but you can easily use ground chuck. Ground turkey or chicken work well too, especially since fig and brie are involved. I usually form the patties about an inch-and-a-half in diameter and season them on both sides with salt and pepper only. I cook them for few minutes on each side on my griddle or grill, where I also toast the bread. This time I used Ozery Bakery’s Just Minis from Whole Foods Market (presliced multi-grain sliders), which had the toothiness I was looking for in a bun. I’ve also used a biscuit cutter to shape other dense white, herb and wheat loaves from Red Stick Farmers Market vendors Le Potager and Forte Grove Bakery.

On one toasted half, I spread fig preserves from Southside Produce. On the other, I placed a small wedge of goat brie. The heat from the warm burger patty triggered the brie’s easy gooiness. Its soft edges (a characteristic of the goat’s milk) fused nicely with the sweet, musty preserves. Is there any fruit that complements meat better than figs? I don’t think so.

Four ingredients, simple to assemble and really delicious.