Beef and Provolone Sliders

The grass going gold by August. Standard. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Grilled ribeye Saturday. Charcoal in the kettle. Three minutes per side. Rest. Eat.

The week held. The work continues.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

The ribeye on Saturday did what it needed to do — charcoal, three minutes a side, rest, eat. That’s the rhythm that holds. But on the weeks when the auction yard, the broken chute hinge, and a neighbor’s choking heifer all land at once, sometimes what you want is something just as satisfying but a little easier to pull together — something you can set in front of a full table without ceremony. These beef and provolone sliders are that meal. Beef is up, the story goes, and so is feed, but a good slider doesn’t ask much of you except to show up and eat it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 slider buns or Hawaiian rolls
6 slices provolone cheese, halved
1/2 cup caramelized onions (optional)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder (for buns)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Yellow mustard or horseradish sauce, for serving

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 baking dish or rimmed sheet pan with foil and lightly grease.
Season the beef. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until just combined — do not overwork.
Form and cook the patties. Shape beef into 12 small patties sized to fit your buns. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Drain excess fat.
Assemble the sliders. Slice buns in half horizontally, keeping them connected if using rolls. Place bottom halves in the prepared pan. Layer a beef patty on each bun, then top with a half slice of provolone. Add caramelized onions if using. Place top buns on.
Butter and bake. Mix melted butter with garlic powder and parsley. Brush evenly over the tops of the buns. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake another 5 minutes until tops are golden and cheese is melted.
Serve. Let rest 2 minutes. Pull apart and serve with mustard or horseradish sauce on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Beef and Provolone Sliders — When Saturday Calls for Something Simple and Good