Planet Barbecue!

Moroccan “Sliders”

Where: Marrakech, Morocco

What: Cumin-scented, grilled ground beef or lamb patties served with a tomato and olive salad and onion relish

How: Direct grilling

Just the Facts: The ground meat shouldn’t be too lean—15 to 20 percent fat is ideal.

You know the scene: In every barbecue capital there’s one street with grill restaurants lined up one after another. Four or five will have a handful of customers and one will have standing room only. Welcome to Haj Brik, located at the epicenter of the Marrakech grill scene: Bani Marine Street. Since 1947, this tiny storefront has been packing them in for kofta (ground lamb kebabs), Marrakech mixed grill, and the Moroccan equivalent of sliders. You sit down for lunch at Haj Brik and the grill man shapes and cooks your sliders to order. They come off the grill crusty on the outside; the succulence comes from the tomato-olive relish and the Onion Relish.– Makes 12 sliders; serves 4

1 1/2 pounds ground beef or lamb, or a mixture of both, not too lean

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 luscious, red ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup black olives, preferably Moroccan dry-cured olives

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Moroccan bread or pita bread

Onion Relish

Advance preparation: None

1. Place the beef, chopped onion, 1/4 cup of parsley, salt, pepper, and cumin in a mixing bowl and mix them together with your fingers. Lightly wet your hands with cold water and form the meat mixture into patties that are about 2 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate them, covered, until you are ready to grill.

2. Place the tomatoes, olives, and 3 tablespoons of parsley in a nonreactive bowl and toss to mix. Squeeze in the juice of one or two lemon wedges. Place the remaining lemon wedges in a dish and set them aside for serving. Season the tomato-olive relish with salt and pepper to taste; it should be highly seasoned.

3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.

4. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the patties on the hot grate and grill them until crusty and brown and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium to medium-well. (Moroccans prefer their meat medium to medium-well done.)

5. Transfer the grilled patties to a platter or plate. To eat, place a patty on a piece of bread. Squeeze some lemon juice on top and spoon some tomato-olive salad and Onion Relish over the patty.