Chili Aioli Buffalo Sliders

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to 450 degrees and place the peppers directly on the grates. (See note below if you don't have a grill) Cook until the peppers are blackened and blistered all over, then transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Place the peppers in the bowl of a mini-prep food processor. Add the garlic and pulse until peppers are finely minced.
2. Mix the peppers and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, stirring until well combined. Using a microplane grater, zest the lemon. Add the zest to the pepper mixture. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half the lemon into the pepper mixture. Season with kosher salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Cut the bacon into 2"-3" pieces and place in a cold cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet over medium to medium high heat, cooking the bacon and flipping it occasionally until crisp and golden. Transfer the bacon to a platter lined with paper towels or newspaper and let the bacon drain. Set the pan aside, but don't drain the bacon fat.
4. Divide the buffalo meat into 16 equal portions and gently form them into balls (don't overwork the meat).
5. Working in batches, heat the cast iron skillet over medium high heat and when the bacon fat is good and hot, carefully place a few meat balls into the pan. Use a spatula or burger press to flatten the burger to about 1/2" thick. Do this for each of the burgers in the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes and carefully flip the burgers to cook the other side. 1-2 minutes per side for medium rare.
6. Transfer the burgers to a platter and continue to cook the other burgers.
7. To assemble the sliders, add a heaping tablespoon of the chili aioli to the bottom bun, add a slice of tomato, the burger, cheese, jalapeños, 1-2 slices of cooked bacon and lettuce and other accompaniments.
8. Note: If you have a gas stovetop, you can place the peppers directly over the flame to char them. If you don't have a grill or gas stove, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, place peppers on a sheet pan and cook until, blackened on the outside, about 20-30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.