RECIPE BOX: Sloppy Joes, it’s a tradition
Sloppy Joes became popular as a way for families to stretch their food a bit. Inexpensive cuts of meat combined with tomato sauce and fillers like onion could feed many people, especially when you serve it on bread for a complete meal. It helps that the sandwich is popular with all ages. There’s no doubt that this sandwich is a favorite among both kids and adults. But have you ever wondered where the sloppy joe got its name? The answer lies in the sandwich’s origin story, or maybe we should say “stories.”
There’s more than one tale of how the sloppy joe came to be. One of them starts in Havana, Cuba. There, a man named José García served a sandwich based on a Cuban dish called Ropa Vieja. García also sold iced seafood in his restaurant, and the floor was often wet from melted ice. This made some customers tease García for having a “sloppy” restaurant. Eventually, the name “Sloppy Joes” stuck with his establishment. Years later, the name passed to a Key West, Florida restaurant. Writer Ernest Hemingway recommended naming this newer location after the original Sloppy Joes.
Of course, there’s another story of how the sloppy joe started. The sandwich may have begun as a variation of the popular loose meat sandwiches in the 1950s. According to legend, a cook named Joe at Floyd Angell’s café in Sioux City, Iowa added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Some believe this is how the sloppy joe sandwich was born. Sloppy joes are popular with most children. They’re a favorite in lunchrooms in schools all over the country. They’re also popular among families at dinnertime. That’s because sloppy joes are both easy and inexpensive to make.
Have you ever made sloppy joes? You can use a homemade recipe of ground beef, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, and seasonings. Fry up the ground beef, add the other ingredients, and serve it up hot on a bun. Many people prefer to use canned products, such as Manwich. Most of the ingredients are already mixed together. All they need to do is add ground beef. Are you a vegetarian? No problem, just substitute vegetable protein or lentils for ground beef to make meatless sloppy joes.
Many people find the name sloppy joes funny. Would you believe sloppy joes are often called by different names in different parts of the United States? It’s true! Some other names for sloppy joes include barbecues, dynamites, goulash, sloppy janes, slushburgers, steamers, wimpies, and yum yums. What do you call sloppy joes where you live?
My aunt often prepares homemade sloppy joes for us. Always delicious and hitting the spot. I asked for the recipe to share this week in my column, but I also wanted it to save for my own recipe box. My aunt informed me that she originally got the recipe from a farmer’s wife, neighbor, and friend, who used to make the sandwiches for her and my uncle when they were dating.
Eating the sloppy joes didn’t just fill my stomach for dinner but it filled me with memories full of traditions and hospitality. When was the last time you invited someone into your home for a meal? It can be as simple as a sloppy joe. What you serve around your table isn’t nearly as important as who you share it with.
Contact Ashley at ashley@tippgazette.com
Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
2 lbs hamburger, browned
1 onion chopped
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. vinegar
2 Tbs. Mustard
8 Tbs. Ketchup
Instructions
Brown burger in a skillet on the stove until no pink remains. Drain the grease off. Cook in chopped onion. Mix remaining ingredients on a low/simmer until heated through. Serve on a brioche bun, slice of bread, or alone on a plate.
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Pea Salad
Ingredients
8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
4 cups frozen peas defrosted
½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
⅓ cup diced red onion
Dressing
⅓ cup mayonaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
salt & pepper
Instructions
Combine all dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add peas, bacon, onion and cheese to the bowl and gently stir.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
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Baked Beans
Ingredients
1/2 pound bacon diced
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped finely
1 clove garlic minced
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) butter beans drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) baked beans
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Can use Tabasco or Franks)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large cast iron skillet cook the bacon on medium high heat.
Remove the bacon and let cool.
Drain half the fat, then add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes or until it just begins to caramelize.
Add in the garlic and bell pepper and cook an additional 30 seconds, stirring well.
In a large mixing bowl add the bacon, onions, garlic and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Pour the beans into a 9x13 baking pan and bake, covered with foil, for one hour.
Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.