"It’s not a party spread until the mini cheeseburgers hit the table. Surprise your tailgate guests with Wolfgang Puck's Oscar-worthy mini cheeseburgers."
For the Mini Prime Cheese Burgers:
1 pound ground Wagyu Snake River Farms beef
Pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces aged cheddar cheese, sliced
6 slices Brioche bread, punched out with a 2-inch ring cutter
Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)
Arugula leaves
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
3 cornichons, sliced
For the Remoulade Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3/4 cup of brunoise of red onion (cut very tiny)
1/2 cup of brunoise of red bell pepper (cut very tiny)
1/2 cup of brunoise of yellow bell pepper (cut very tiny)
Preheat a grill or grill pan.
Put the ground beef in a bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands to combine. Take a small amount (about 2 tablespoons worth) of the ground beef and roll it in the palm of your hand like you are making meatballs. Flatten the top slightly and put the mini burger patties on a side plate. Drizzle the burgers with oil and season the tops with salt and pepper. Turn the burgers over and season the other side.
Place the burgers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn them over with tongs. Put about 1/2 ounce of aged cheddar cheese on top of the burgers, allowing it to melt. While that’s cooking, put the brioche circles on the grill. Let them toast slightly on both sides, about 2 minutes total time.
To put the burgers together: Put the toasted brioche circles on a platter. Top each with a small spoonful of Remoulade. Put the burger on top (cheese side up), followed by an arugula leaf, a slice of tomato and a slice of cornichon.
For the Remoulade Sauce: In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, garlic, rosemary and paprika. Reduce by half. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a sauté pan, heat the peanut oil. Sweat onions, red and yellow bell pepper until glossy. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Combine with cream mixture.