Little Lamb Sliders

• Spice Rub for the Lamb
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder, though any smoky chile will do
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• The Sliders
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 10 mini-brioche rolls (if ordering special, you want golf ball size rolls)
• mayo
• pepper

1. Heat the oven to 450. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients in the first part to make the spice rub. Make sure it's all mixed well (the brown sugar always likes to clump.)
2. Take the ground lamb and form it into 2.5 oz patties. These should be about golf ball sized and should look like they're just a little bit too big for the brioches.
3. In a bowl or on some parchment paper, lay out a few of the lamb patties and start applying the spice rub. Be generous with the rub and make sure it coats the slider but don't grind it in.
4. (Optional) Heat up a large skillet or frying pan over medium high heat. Give the sliders a quick sear on both sides and make sure the sides of the slider get a little searing on the edge of the pan. This should be a minute at most so the rub caramelizes but doesn't burn.
5. Toss the sliders on a roasting pan (I usually do 6-10 at a crack) and put into the oven for ~4-5 minutes.
6. Take the sliders out of the oven, give them a flip, and put them back in for another 2 minutes for medium doneness. Remove from oven.
7. Slice the brioches in half and give each brioche top a thin coat of mayo, followed by a sprinkle of pepper. The mayo and the juices from the slider do something magical together.
8. (Optional) Toast the brioches slightly for 45 seconds in the oven prior to applying the mayo.
9. Spear the sliders with a toothpick and serve!

rub, espresso powder, ancho chile powder, brown sugar, ground coriander, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, ground black pepper, sliders, ground lamb, rolls, mayo, pepper

Taken from food52.com/recipes/11283-little-lamb-sliders (may not work)