Chef Tyler Wiard serves these at Elway’s Cherry Creek. Photo by Steve Crecelius. Makes 8.
Ingredients
1 pound ground Colorado lamb
8 small slices of pepper jack cheese
3 Anaheim chiles
2 tablespoons canola oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
1 clove fresh garlic
1/4 cup cotija or parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
8 mini hamburger or slider buns
Directions
Divide ground lamb into eight equal portions and form into mini hamburgers. Set aside.
Make pesto: Coat chiles in canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast chiles on a grill or under broiler until charred. Place in a container with a lid and let stand 20-30 minutes so the chiles can steam. (If your skin is sensitive, use gloves.) Peel skin from the chiles, de-stem and remove seeds. Roughly chop chiles and garlic. Place chiles, garlic, cotija cheese, pumpkin seeds and olive oil in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Butter both sides of the buns and toast on a griddle or a grill. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Cook lamb on a flat top or grill to desired temperature. Place pepper jack on the lamb to melt. Put the sliders on the bottom bun and place equal amount of pesto on each one. Put the top bun on and serve.
