Old Timber Outdoors
More goose recipes

Ground Canada goose

Maple-Sage Canada Goose Patty and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

Juicy ground goose patties seasoned with maple and sage, fried in cast iron and stacked with a fried egg and cheddar on a toasted English muffin.

Serves
4
Hands-on
30 min
Total
35 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop or campfire · Breakfast

Ingredients

  • 1 lbGround Canada goose
  • 1 tbspMaple syrup
  • 4Eggs
  • 4 slicesSharp cheddar
  • 1 tspSalt
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp ice water
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 4 oz ground pork or ground pork fat (optional, for juicier patties)
  • 4 English muffins, split

You'll need

  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Stovetop or Campfire with grate or coals

Contains

Egg, Dairy, Gluten. English muffins vary; some contain milk, soy or egg. Check the label.

Method

  1. Keep the meat cold. In a chilled bowl, mix the ground goose (and the ground pork or pork fat, if using), maple syrup, sage, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, ice water and 1 tbsp of the oil with your hands just until it turns slightly sticky, about 30 seconds. Shape into 4 patties about ½ inch thick and a little wider than the English muffins, since they shrink, and press a shallow dimple into the center of each.
  2. Toast the English muffins cut side down in the dry skillet over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute, and set them on the plates.
  3. Add the remaining oil to the skillet over medium heat (or over medium coals) and let it shimmer. Lay in the patties and leave them alone until a brown crust releases, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn once and cook 2 to 4 minutes more. Start checking after the turn: take them off the moment an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the center. Set each patty on a muffin bottom and cover loosely with foil.
  4. Crack the eggs into the skillet, break the yolks, and fry until the whites and yolks are firm, about 2 minutes per side. Lay a cheddar slice on each egg for the last minute and cover the pan so it melts.
  5. Top each patty with an egg and its cheese and the muffin top. Serve right away.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists ground poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the center of a patty or several spots in loose meat.

If it goes wrong

Dry patties
Goose is very lean and turns dry a few degrees past done. Do not press them in the pan, start checking right after the turn, and pull them at 165°F. The pork fat and ice water in the mix help a lot.
Patties crumbling
The mix was too warm or too dry, or it was not mixed long enough to turn tacky. Keep everything cold and mix until the meat sticks to your hand.
Maple scorching before the centers are done
The heat was too high. Stay at medium, and if the crust darkens fast, turn the heat down and cover the pan for a minute.
Patties puffing into domes
Press a deeper dimple in the center before cooking.

Leftovers. Keep the raw ground goose at 40°F or below until it goes in the pan. Serve right away; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.