Ground veal is a rather delicately flavored meat that lends itself well to the addition of fresh herbs like the basil in these burgers. Topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a quick sauce made with sweet onion, tomato and a splash of balsamic vinegar they make a great meal and a nice alternative to beef burgers. Try serving them with our Crunchy Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks.

Veal Burgers w/Sweet Tomato-Basil Sauce

Grilled veal burgers topped with melted mozzarella cheese and a sauce of fresh tomatoes, basil, and sweet onion are a nice change from the standard beef burgers.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb ground veal
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1/4-inch thick)
4 round sandwich rolls

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 large fresh tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil

Instructions

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (see notes).
Place the ground veal, bread crumbs, cream, basil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix together gently, but thoroughly. Form the mixture into four equal patties, compressing gently. Brush both sides of each burger with a bit of olive oil and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce begins to thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and set aside while you cook the burgers. (Reserve the basil until ready to serve.)
Oil the grill grates and add the veal burgers. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 2 minutes additional, then top each burger with a slice of mozzarella cheese and grill until cooked through (160°F), 2 to 3 minutes longer. Cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
While the veal burgers rest, lightly toast the rolls and add the basil to the tomato sauce.
Place a veal burger on each roll, top with the tomato sauce and serve with fries, chips or our Crunchy Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Don't feel like grilling? These burgers are every bit as delicious when cooked in a heavy skillet on top of the stove, or broiled.

Veal Burgers w/Sweet Tomato-Basil Sauce