• Servings: Makes 8 Sliders
• 1 cup wine — for the cook
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• Whatever burger Seasonings you dig
• 8 small buns or soft dinner rolls
• Butter
• Creamy Peanut Butter
• Bacon Jam (see recipe below)
• Cheddar Cheese (optional — I like sharp white cheddar)
• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1-2 teaspoons (or +/- to taste) Chipotle peppers in Adobo
• FOR THE BACON, MAPLE & BOURBON JAM
• Makes approximately 1 - 1/2 cups
• 1 cup wine-for the cook
• 1 pound thick sliced Bacon, cut into 1” pieces (Applewood Smoked preferably)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup Bourbon
• 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chilies in Adobo (more or less, depending on taste)

1. Season meat as desired and form into eight small patties. Grill to desired doneness. Add cheese if you are using it and let melt. (Cover with a lid if you have to, but melt that shit. No cold cheese allowed!)
3. Meanwhile, butter the inside of the buns and grill or fry, butter side down until browned.
5. Spread generous 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter on the bottom of each bun, top with a burger and top burger with about one or two Tablespoons of Bacon Jam and then the bun top.
8. FOR THE BACON, MAPLE & BOURBON JAM
9. Cook bacon in large pan over medium heat until crisp. Reserve 2 Tablespoon of the grease in the pan, draining the rest. Set bacon aside.
11. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute or two.
13. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar; cook until vinegar is reduced by 1/2.
15. Add the coffee, brown sugar, maple syrup, chipotle chilies, and the bacon. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 60 +/- minutes.
17. Process in a food processor, using on/off pulses until slightly smooth. Careful not to over process; you want it to still have the texture.
19. Note: Make sure to use a thick sliced bacon; Applewood smoked if you can find it. The thin stuff will never hold up to the processing and will shrink up too much. Bacon Jam stores in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about a month, but my guess is it won’t be around that long.
22. If you don't like peanut butter or think it’s just plain wrong to put on a burger, substitute Chipotle Mayo. It goes great with the Bacon Jam!
24. (Chipotle Mayo: Stir together mayo and chipotle peppers in Adobo.)

From the Sauce du Jour Kitchen* For the Bacon Cooking Class - 109 Yes, I really did put put peanut butter on a burger, and now I'm hooked! As weird as it sounds, it goes perfectly with the bacon jam and chipotle mayo. Now everyone in the SdJ Cooking Class is a convert! Don't be scared...try it! *Bacon Jam recipe adapted from the Closet Cooking website. (Photo: bacontoday.com)