Sloppy Joes
The 1930’s ushered in the height of the Great Depression. Food was scarce, so the most popular recipes stretched pricier foods, like meat. According to the The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, the first printed appearance of “sloppy joes” occurred in 1935; this dish was economical. As for the “Joe” in sloppy joe, it most likely refers to the “American proletarian character.” Some food historians believe that with the addition of ketchup or tomato sauces, it evolved from the popular Iowa loosemeat sandwich introduced by Floyd Angell, the founder of Maid-Rite restaurants, in 1926. During the Great Depression and World War II, ground beef provided an enconomical way to stretch meat and ensured the popularity of the sandwich.
The first printed recipe that officially dubbed the hamburger dish “sloppy Joe” was in 1963, in the “McCall’s Cook Book.” It called for sauteing half pound of ground beef in a skillet until it “loses its red color,” and then adding a can of beans in barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup catsup. The simmered mixture was served on toasted hamburger buns.
A reviewer of the Serious Eats recipe below says, "The biggest pitfall in Sloppy Joe creation is the dreaded "fall-apart-bottom-bun." The obvious solution, using a sturdier bun, just doesn't jive with the whole ooey-gooey, kid-friendly, Sloppy Joe experience. A soft, squishy bun is mandatory! The trick I learnt was to always place the meat mixture on the TOP buns, and them cover with the bottom buns before flipping. This gives time for any excess sauce to soak into the thicker top bun before service. I always allow the finished sandwiches to rest a few minutes before flipping."
If you like spicy Sloppy Joes, see this recipe from the Neely's: Spicy Sloppy Joes.
Sloppy Joes
FMM: These are the Sloppy Joes I grew up on. They are not spicy like some recipes, but they are really good. Also, most recipes use ketchup; this one doesn't. We like to make up a big pot of them and have them on hand. Mom said this is a recipe Dad got somewhere, probably from a newspaper or magazine clipping.
This is not a Sloppy Joe that you can pick up and eat. Use a knife and fork. I think the best part of this is the sauciness of the filling. I usually add some beef mixture inside the bun and a little on top.
1/2 recipe makes 3 good size sandwiches.
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large cooking onions or 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 10 3/4 oz. can tomato soup (can use less)
1 28 oz. can tomato puree (can use less)
parsley
salt and pepper
hamburger buns with sesame seeds
Saute the ground beef until beginning to turn brown in color. You are not searing the meat to crisp it, it should just be starting to cook through.
Add the onions and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft and cooked through.
Add the tomato puree and tomato soup a bit at a time until you get it as saucy as you like. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer to mingle flavors. Best if left to set a while or serve the next day.
Serve hot on seeded hamburger buns.
6 servings
The Sloppy Joe You Remember
from https://www.seriouseats.com/
When I set about to develop a recipe for sloppy Joes, I wanted to keep the essential flavor profile and key ingredients—ground beef and a sweet, tangy tomato sauce—but make it better than what people remember.
First, browning the meat well gives the sauce a deeply savory flavor but can also dry out the meat. Browning just half the ground beef strikes a balance, allowing you to get those satisfying roasted flavors while leaving the other half of the meat nice and tender.
The sauce is nicely thick, thanks to a slurry of cornstarch, and gets its tomato-y flavor from a mixture of tomato or marinara sauce and ketchup. Heinz was the only brand that consistently delivered the sweet-tart tomato flavor so key to classic sloppy Joes.
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup (120 ml) low-sodium beef or low-sodium chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, plus more as needed
1 pound (454 g) 80% lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces; 226 g), finely chopped
2 medium cloves garlic (10 g), finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato or marinara sauce (5 1/4 ounces; 150 g), such as Rao's
1/4 cup Heinz ketchup (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 soft burger buns, split and toasted
In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon water with cornstarch to combine; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine stock, salt, and MSG, if using. Mix well and set aside.
In a large stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron skillet, heat oil over high heat until shimmering. Add half of ground beef and cook, using a wooden spoon to stir and scrape pan, until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining meat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, potato masher, or whisk, until reduced to small bits (about the size of panko), about 3 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to prevent scorching.
Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Add stock mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato or marinara sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally to coat beef in sauce mixture, until sauce has darkened slightly, about 3 minutes.
Add cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and brown sugar as needed.
Using a spoon, place about 1/4 of meat mixture on each bottom half. Place the top buns on, press gently to adhere, and serve immediately.
Serves 4, makes 3 1/2 cups
