MOSAIC (CLOSED)
Formerly located at 3097 Maple Drive, Atlanta.
Q: Here is a must-do for the "From the Menu of" feature: Mosaic's sliders. They are the best little cheeseburgers in this city, maybe the world, and I have had my fair share of cheeseburgers, so I know this to be true. While I have tried time and time again to replicate them, I just can't seem to do it. If you all could get the recipe for this, that would be wonderful … except for the inevitable 50 pounds I will put on when they are at my daily disposal." — Mary Pierce Zirkle, Atlanta
A: Executive chef Darrell Rice is glad that his customers love his twist on tiny cheeseburgers, but he's not sure he totally understands the trend. "That is the craze right now, for those little burgers, " he said. "Everybody loves them. It's a dichotomy that I can't get away from."
He does acknowledge, though, that his sliders — added to the menu about nine months ago — are special. He starts with Kobe beef, adds a pungent soy-ginger glaze and then tops them off with a slice of brie. (This is a dish best eaten while pointedly not thinking about saturated fats.)
Kobe Beef Sliders
4 servings
Hands on: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Mosaic executive chef Darrell Rice uses Kobe beef, but you can use any high-quality ground beef. Quick tip: If you can’t find single-serving cans of pineapple juice in your grocery store (for the Soy Ginger Glaze), buy a can of pineapple packed in pineapple juice and drain, reserving the liquid.
For the Soy Ginger Glaze:
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
Juice of 1/2 orange
3 ounces ( 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) pineapple juice
1 ounce fresh peeled ginger, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3 green onions, white part only, chopped
For the Soy Ginger Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Soy Ginger Glaze
For the sliders:
1 pound high-quality ground beef, such as Kobe
1 tablespoon Soy Ginger Glaze
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 green onions, green part only, chopped
12 small rolls, such as Hawaiian sweet rolls, sliced in half
12 thin, square-inch slices chilled triple-cream brie cheese
To prepare the glaze: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine soy sauce, sugar, lemon, lime, orange and pineapple juices, ginger and green onions. Cook until mixture is reduced by about half. When a spoon is dipped into the mixture, it should coat the spoon. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Makes 1/2 cup. Set aside.
To prepare the Soy Ginger Mayo: In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and glaze. Chill.
To prepare the sliders: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, Soy Ginger Glaze, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin and green onions. Form the beef into 12 patties. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Preheat the grill or a griddle.
Place the bottom half of the rolls, cut side up, on a serving platter and dress with a teaspoon of Soy Ginger Mayo. Place the top half of the rolls, cut side up, on a baking sheet and top with the cheese slices. Heat in the oven until the cheese is softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grill or sear the patties until they reach the desired doneness. Place the patties on the bottom half of the buns, brush with Soy Ginger Glaze and top with other half of the bun.
Per serving: 585 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 24 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 62 milligrams cholesterol, 2,688 milligrams sodium.
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