In playing around with impossible burger meat, I found that spice is key. Living in Oakland, I am surrounded by fantastic Ethiopian restaurants and markets, and one of my all time favorite dishes is kitfo: a beef tartar laden with mitmita (a very spicy chili blend) and lots of clarified butter. So I thought, why not bring these punchy flavors to an epic breakfast sando? The result was better than expected, my partner didn’t realize he wasn’t eating beef (thanks to the spices and ghee inside the patty). Paired with bright sautéed collards and some funky pickle-y mayo, this is the plant based brunch of my dreams.
Tips:
- Can’t find mitmita? Sub either 3/4 tbsp of berbere or 1/2 tsp of cayenne with a pinch of cinnamon, ground cloves, and cardamon.
- Don’t think you have to only eat this dish in the morning! Remove the eggs and increase the size of your patties for an epic burger night. This is especially great if you want a completely vegan version (just omit the ghee and sub veganaise for mayo).
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the impossible patties
- 6 oz impossible meat
- ½ tsp mitmita, see note about substitution options
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ghee, plus more for frying (optional, omit for vegan)
For the collards
- Ghee or olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the funky mayo
- 1.5 tbsp mayonnaise or veganaise
- 1 tsp pickling brine (you can really use the liquid of anything pickly in your fridge. Capers, sauerkraut, etc. If you don’t have any, opt for ½ a tsp of vinegar).
Assembly
- Eggs, any style
- Buns (brioche, sourdough, or english muffins all work)
Instructions
Preparation
- Mix together all the ingredients for the impossible patties.
- Grab half the mixture with your hand and flatten out slightly. Add ¼ tsp of ghee to the middle and form a ball around the ghee. Flatten to a patty about the size of your buns, ⅓ of an inch thick. Repeat with the second patty. Set aside.
- Mix together the mayo and pickling brine and set aside.
Cooking
The impossible patties and the collards cook in about the same amount of time.
- Preheat the oven to toast your buns, and place them in the oven when you are about 2-3 minutes from eating.
- Heat two pans over medium heat, one for the patties and eggs, and one for the collards.
- Add cooking fat to each of the pans (the collards will need slightly more. There is a good amount of fat in the impossible patties that will drip out while cooking).
- Cook the impossible patties for about 1.5 minutes on the first side, and another 1-1.5 minutes on the second side. I like them slightly less cooked than the package says so they stay moist. Remove from the pan and set aside when they are done.
- While the impossible patties cook, add the collards and garlic to the other pan and saute for about 3 minutes, until bright green and soft. Season to taste and add a large squeeze of lemon. Remove from heat.
- Drain any excess fat from the impossible patties pan and cook your eggs. I opted for a soft scramble, but over easy would be fantastically decadent as well.
Assembly
- Spread the top bun with the funky mayo.
- Layer the bottom bun with the collards, impossible patties, and eggs.