RECIPE

These fancy little burgers are flavor bombs! Not to mention cute. A perfect appetizer for your next dinner party, wedding reception, or celebration of all sorts.

Makes 24-30 burgers

Ingredients

Mini Burgers

• 2 pounds Lone Mountain Wagyu Ground Beef
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

Spicy Ketchup

• 1 cup store-bought ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bleu Cheese Mousse

• 8 ounces bleu cheese crumbled
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mini Burgers

Using your hands, break up the Wagyu beef into a mixing bowl. Season the beef lightly with the kosher salt and black pepper, then mix well using your hands. Using a 1-ounce scoop or a scale, form the beef into meatballs and then flatten the top and bottom to resemble a hamburger shape — think of a tall, cylindrical meatball, not a flat “slider” — set aside. Again, season both sides of the burgers lightly with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan or grill set over medium-high heat, lightly oil the pan or grill and sear the burgers on both sides for about 2 minutes per side. If done in a pan, finish cooking in a preheated 400 F oven for 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare, 5 minutes for medium and 6 to 7 minutes for medium-well. Otherwise, finish on the grill to desired doneness. Once the burgers are cooked to your liking, transfer to a paper-towel-lined sheet pan and keep warm.

Spicy Ketchup

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. You can store the ketchup in a container for up to 2 weeks.

Blue Cheese Mousse

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bleu cheese for 30 seconds. With the machine running, pour in the warm water and process another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. With the machine running again, add the heavy whipping cream and puree until smooth. Transfer mousse to a container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.