These sliders are extra moist and juicy, thanks to the addition of bacon in the patty. If you’re not a goat cheese fan, you can substitute something else, but we recommend giving it a try.

The tanginess of the goat cheese is complemented by the sweetness of the jam, the savory bacon, and the hint of black pepper spice. Grilling the sourdough adds a delicious crunchy texture.The recipe comes from the book Bacon Freak, packed with porky goodness.

Reprinted with permission from Bacon Freak© 2016 by Rocco Loosbrock, Sara Lewis & Dawn Hubbard, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. RRP £16.99, Available online and at all good bookshops.

DRINK PAIRING  In the summer, this is great with a dry rosé. Otherwise, something lighter and zippier like a Chianti or a lighter Zinfandel.

MAKES 10 sliders

PREP TIME 15 minutes

COOK TIME 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME 45 minutes

1 pound bacon, divided

½ pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 sourdough baguette, cut into 20 thin slices

butter or olive oil

5 ounces blackberry jam

10 ounces goat cheese, divided into 8 portions

1 Cook the bacon until the fat starts to render out, but does not start to crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Continue cooking 5 of the bacon strips until crispy and set aside.

2 Chop the lightly cooked bacon finely and combine with the ground beef, garlic powder and onion powder. Form into 10 evenshaped patties, roughly 3–4″ in diameter. Grill each side for about 3–5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

3 While the patties are cooking, lightly coat each baguette slice with butter or oil and toast until golden, using a toaster or broiling on high for 2–4 minutes.

4 To assemble the sliders, place a beef and bacon patty on a slice of sourdough toast, topped with ½ strip of cooked bacon, 1 ounce of goat cheese, ½ tablespoon of jam, and another slice

of sourdough toast. Serve immediately.