Ingredients:
Lamb Sliders
1 pound lean ground lamb
3 ounces pork fat back - ground
1 Tablespoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet Onion Marmalade

2 large red onions
1/8 cup butter
1/2 jalapeno or Serrano, minced
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups tawny port
1/8 cup port wine vinegar
1/2 cup veal stock (or other meat stock or broth)

Pumpkin Brioche

1 ounce fresh yeast
1/2 cup warm whole milk
1/8 cup honey
5 ounces bread flour
(mix, cover and let rest 30 minutes - rise two times)

Dough
2 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
1/2 pound bread flour
1/2 pound cake flour
4 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/8 cup combined fresh parsley, savory, thyme and chives




How to make this recipe:
Lamb:
Blend in bowl together - form into patties and broil in hot oven until juices run clear.

Marmalade:
Sweat onions in butter on low heat until translucent. Add sugar and cook 5 minutes. Raise to medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and reduce to syrup consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Brioche
Add remaining ingredients to brioche, pumpkin last. Additional flour may be needed if puree is not dry enough. Knead with dough hook until it forms a ball. Dough should not stick to sides of bowl. Cover, let rise two times. Shape, then egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 400 degrees or until deep golden brown.

Put the lamb "slider" on the pumpkin brioche with the marmalade and serve.
Notes: Recipe from Chef Joe Lakavage of the Balboa Café in Squaw Valley, courtesy of the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival.