Sliders

It was a beautiful summer evening in Colorado and Jim and I were headed to a wedding that was promised to be incredible. It was located at a the Castle Pines Gold Club where guests would feel like they stepped outside of the city and right into the Rocky Mountains. The location was everything it was promised to be, and perhaps a little more. Like most weddings, guests were served drinks and hors’ devours while waiting for the wedding party to finish their countless photos. I tend to be one of those guests that gets a little nervous when servers walk up to me with a silver platter full of bite size foods. You never really quite know what it is you are looking at and often don’t even know what it is once you have tried it.

On this particular night, however, I learned that one of the servers had been lurking about the crowd with a platter full of sliders; mini hamburgers. Right away my posture got a little straighter, my eyes a little wider, and my senses were heightened as I was on the look out for what might be the best bite of food I would have all night. Then, as if in a dream, there she was, the “slider lady.” She was coming our way with a platter full of mini burgers when the unthinkable happened. A large group of guests swarmed the slider platter like a school of piranhas, leaving behind one lonely burger.

Thanks to my very generous husband and some gracious guests, I was the proud winner of the last slider. Now, if you have ever had a slider, you know that eating one is just a teaser. They are small and meant to be eaten in twos, threes, and even fours. After finishing mine in two quick bites I began to feel a ravenous craving for another.

So, here we were at this nice, very upscale, wedding and I was dreaming about miniature hamburgers. I motioned to Jim that we should go stand near the door where the servers were coming and going with their platters of hors’ devours so that we would be the first partake in the next platter of sliders. First server: shrimp cocktail. Second server: sushi. Third server: something unrecognizable. We waited, but much to my stomach’s dismay, another platter of sliders never came by. I went home dreaming that night of sliders, wondering where I would ever find the second and third burger I was meant to have.

Since this wedding I have been lucky enough to get my second and third slider. But, now I am on the quest to learn more about this fabulous burger idea, find the best places to get them in Denver, and even try making some of my own. Anyone want to join me?

What I have learned so far…

When the famous White Castle hamburger chain first conceived the idea of a slider, this mini burger was actually spelled “slyder.” The name came from the fact that these little hamburgers were so greasy that they would slide right down as you ate them. The original slyder had a very thin patty of meat and was often made in the shape of a square. The mini burger was steam fried on top of chopped onions that actually gives the slyder its own unique taste. In fact, many would argue that mini burgers that are not cooked with the chopped onions are not true slyders. The slyder was then topped with a pickle and placed between two miniature buns. The grease and the onions would permeate the bun.

This was the slider in its original form. Now, sliders have become a fast growing food trend and have been altered here and there by different chefs to make them fit the fad and crowd of their own restaurants. Many people would argue that unless they stay true to the “slyder” form, they are not a slider at all. I do have to say however, it sure is fun trying the different variations of mini hamburgers that have been inspired by the White Castle original.

What are some of your favorite places to get sliders?

Do you have any good ideas or recipes for making them at home?