Sloppy Joes seem to have been around forever. Ever wonder how they came to be? Loose meat sandwiches were popular in the early 50’s. Legend has it that a cook named Joe (of course) in Sioux City, Iowa (of all places!) added tomato sauce to his loose meat sandwiches and people loved them, but thought they were sloppy. I think that is rather funny! To me loose meat sandwiches are crumbly and sloppy. The filling falls all over the place. Have you ever been in a school lunchroom after loose meat anything is served? It’s everywhere! Tomato sauce in loose meat sandwiches to me seems to be the glue that holds it all together! Anyway, evidently ordering a Sloppy Joe was a lot more efficient than ordering a-loose-meat-sandwich-with-tomato-sauce. Whew! I agree! Recipes abound in one form or another. It seems as though you can’t browse food magazines without stumbling on a new twist to this old, versatile, favorite. Nearly everyone has their own spin on what makes their best Sloppy Joes. Well, I am no different in that respect. I love the convenience of Sloppy Joes. They are easy to make ahead when you know you will need them and just as easy to make in a pinch. I have a tomato and a non-tomato version! The tomato version is my preference. I swear this is close to being the ‘perfect’ Sloppy Joe. It works for lunch or dinner. They are a hit at a picnic or potluck. You can make a small batch, or a batch for fifty. Sloppy Joes are good right off the stove, from the refrigerator the next day, and of course from the freezer. Kids like them, as well as just about everyone else. They are good on a bun, half a bun, or even good over corn chips – yum! Near versatile perfection! After years of tweaking my recipe for Sloppy Joes, this recipe is now my tried and true, favorite Sloppy Joe recipe. I don’t mean to imply I spent any great chucks of my life intentionally developing my Sloppy Joe routine. It just evolved and before long I was making it the same way time after time. My recipe has a bit of taco seasoning. Now wait all you ‘butter-is-my-only-spice people! Give this a chance. The bit of taco seasoning doesn’t make you think you are eating something that belongs on a taco, or even something spicy. I promise. It adds just the right touch – don’t omit it!
1 ½ pound extra lean ground beef
1-pound ground pork
1 large yellow onion
½ cup minced celery
½ cup minced green pepper
1-cup catsup
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground mustard
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1-teaspoon course ground black pepper
2-tablespoon taco seasoning
In large pan brown beef and pork. Drain off as much fat as possible. Return to heat and add onion, pepper, and celery. Add ground mustard, garlic salt, and black pepper and cook until onion is just soft. In separate bowl combine catsup,chopped tomato, vinegar, and brown sugar. Stir well and add to meat mixture. Add taco seasoning and stir well. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes.
Serve with grated cheese and pickle slices. This freezes really well!
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