Veal Sliders

Here's my final post in the "Tasty Game Day Bites" series. These veal sliders were an idea taken from a group of guys who tailgate at the San Diego Chargers games at Qulacomm Stadium. I was down there one of my last weekends in LA as the Pats were playing and tons of people were out from Boston. A few of us ended up crashing the most gourmet tailgate I've ever been too. My favorite thing they had was the veal slider and without a recipe or any kind of research I decided to make my own version. Be advised the measurements aren't exact, so add the bread crumbs slowly until you get the mixture to a good consistency.

Veal Sliders with Balsamic Onions & Garlic Mayo

SLIDERS
2 lbs of ground veal
1 egg
1/2 - 1 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsps fresh thyme leaves - removed from the stems
1/4 cup Montreal Steak Spice
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Dinner Rolls or small hamburger buns (you'll need 14-16)

1. Mix the ground veal with the thyme, steak spice, egg and bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs on small batches to get the mixture to the right consistency to form patties, you may use more or less that I did.
2. Form veal into small patties, whatever is the right size for your buns/rolls. Lay on a cookie sheet or plate lined with wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to help the patties set, they can sit for longer just make sure they are in some sort of airtight container.
3. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the top of the patties with black pepper and garlic powder. Place spiced side down in the fry pan and sprinkle the other side with pepper and garlic powder. Cook the patties on medium to medium low for 5-7 minutes per side to ensure they are cooked through completely. A nice dark crust should form on the patties. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick they are.
4. Remove to a paper towel line plate and let rest for 5 minutes before assembling and serving.


ONIONS
1 large red onion - thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

1. Put the olive oil in a medium saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions and lower heat to medium-low.
2. Cook until the onions are tender but not caramelized, 5-10 mins depending on your stovetop and pan. Then add balsamic vinegar, continue to cook over low heat until vinegar absorbs into the onions and they become soft, about 10 more minutes. NOTE: this is not a sauce, there should be no vinegar left in the pan, it will either evaporate or be absorbed by the onions. I like the let them cook for awhile over low. and just let them work as the burgers cook and cool.
3. Serve on top of veal sliders.

MAYO
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2-3 garlic cloves - minced

1. Mix minced garlic and mayo together. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavor marry. Spread on roll for veal sliders.

These were a complete hit with the guys. I heard that one of them eaven talked about the food the next day, which is one of the biggest compliments, as far as I'm concerned. I actually ended up adding the garlic mayo the next night when it was just the boy and I and we had leftovers for dinner. They were great without the mayo, but the mayo just added a little seething extra that really made it for me. You could easily make these with regular ground beef or turkey, but I think the veal makes it a little more special and the woodsiness of the thyme really works well with the meat. Enjoy!