Broadmoor Hotel cuisine, Buffalo Sliders:pairing tea and food

This recipe has delicious cheese combinations paired with pickled onions. Such a strong recipe calls for a strong, black tea. Few teas are stronger than Lapsang souchong black tea.

Some history on how this tea came to be: The name in Fukienese means "smoky sub-variety." Lapsang souchong is a member of the Wuyi Bohea family of teas. The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines.

Yes, folks, this tea tastes like you are drinking a piney campfire. The smokey goodness of this tea pairs perfectly against the backdrop of strong foods. You would not want to pair this tea with something light such as fruit, curd filled tarts and the like. This is not a girly, afternoon tea.Lapsang souchong tea would also go well with brats, most BBQ, some spicey Asian cuisine, etc. Here is the Broadmoor's recipe for Buffalo Sliders. This great combination of tea and hot, spicy foods makes game day even more special because it takes it away from just beer, chips and dip. Why not try both the recipe and the tea at your next manly gathering?

This recipe is from the chefs at the local Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO.

BUFFALO SLIDERS

Chef Greg Barnhill, Executive Chef at Charles Court and West Lobby Bar
Makes 6 Sliders

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. Ground Buffalo
• 3 oz. Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 6 oz. Cambonzola Cheese (cut into 6 1 oz. slices)
• 6 each Slider Buns
• 3 oz. Pickled Red Onions (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the buffalo and blue cheese crumbles together and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Shape into six small hamburgers.
3. Grill to medium rare. Lightly grill slider buns alongside the burgers.
4. Top burgers with a slice of Cambonzola cheese.
5. Place on grilled slider buns.
6. Garnish with pickled onions and serve.

PICKLED RED ONIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 each Red Onion
• 1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 lb. Sugar
• Pinch of Thyme, Bay, and Parsley Seasonings

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring water, vinegar, sugar and seasonings to a boil.
2. Slice onions thinly on a slicer.
3. Pour hot liquid over the onions.
4. Cover and cool in refrigerator overnight.