Moon Time's Anasazi Bean Burger

By Hklbrries

Fast food fans might consider it sacrilege to call a sandwich without ground meat a "burger." But the Anasazi Bean Burger is no lightweight veggie patty. This hefty quarter-pounder - fried golden and served with a bubbling slab of cheddar - is the cornerstone of the menu at Moon Time Pub in Coeur d'Alene, home of the most sophisticated bar chow in the region. The bean burger is a hit with vegetarians and carnivores alike, with the restaurant selling up to 100 of the burgers a week. It's so popular, Bon Appetit magazine contacted the restaurant after a reader requested the recipe.

Chef/owner Brad Foseen doesn't remember the details on how he came up with the tasty recipe. "I just know we wanted something different than the usual veggie burger," he said.

The base for the burger is the distinctive-looking Anasazi bean, which is a white bean with maroon markings. "We liked it because of its texture and its kind of nutty flavor," said John Grollmus, one of Fosseen's partners at Moon Time and its sister restaurant, The Elk Public House in Spokane's Browne's Addition.

They cook the dried beans with a little bit of salt for about an hour and then drain, but don't rinse them. When the beans have cooled, the remaining ingredients are added. "You can soak them overnight if you have time, and they might cook a little quicker, but we don't bother with that step," Fosseen said. Next they coarsely grind the beans in a food processor with a couple of quick pulses. "You don't want to turn them into refried beans," Fosseen said.

A mixture of sauteed carrots, peppers and onions add color and flavor to the beans. At this point, it's easy to alter this dish. "You can add some curry powder and have curried bean burgers, or try some chili powder," Fosseen said. "You can use just about any kind of bean, even canned beans if you're in a hurry."

Moon Time's bean burger is seasoned with cumin and a little bit of cayenne pepper. An egg and bread crumbs bind the ingredients together. "The bread crumbs are the trickiest part," Fosseen said. "If you add too much, they're too dry. If you add too little, they might fall apart when you flip them."

Fosseen and his kitchen crew - which includes long time line cook Phil Messner - do the final mixing by hand so they can get the right texture. It's similar to piecrust. The patties are shaped using the lid from a gallon-size pepperoncini jar. A fist-size ball of bean burger is pressed between a piece of wax paper and a piece of plastic wrap. (A neat trick).

Typically, the crew makes at least 40 or 50 burgers in a batch. They're sauteed to order, though Fosseen said they could also be baked. "It's the only time I start something out in a cold pan (with a little canola oil)," he said. "That gives them a nice crust."

After two or three minutes, he flips it, adds a slice of cheese and then slips it into a 400 F oven to finish for a couple more minutes. "That way, they don't dry out, but you make sure they're warm all the way through."

They spread mayonnaise on the burger's toasted bun and serve lettuce, tomato and red onion rings on the side, giving the bean burger the savory starring role.

While it's not the kind of sandwich that's going to send meaty juices dripping down your chin, this hand-held meal is certainly substantial enough to bear the title "burger."

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried Anasazi beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 egg
• Approximately 1 cup dried bread crumbs

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the beans in water for approximately 1 hour, until soft but not mushy. Drain (but don't rinse) and cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Saute the onion, bell peppers and carrot until soft, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Process the beans in a food processor until roughly chopped (only a couple of pulses). Remove the beans and repeat that step for the vegetables.

Combine beans and vegetables in a large mixing bowl, season with cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg and then work the bread crumbs into the bean mixture, starting with small amounts and gradually adding more. It should hold together and have a texture similar to pie dough. If the mixture seems a little dry, add up to 1 tablespoon additional olive oil.

Form four patties. Saute with 1 tablespoon olive oil until golden, approximately 3 minutes on each side. Add a slice of cheddar and serve with mayonnaise.

(The bean burger can be "finished" in a 400 F oven for 2 or 3 minutes (after adding the cheese and before placing on the bun) to ensure that it is heated all the way through).