To us, comfort food is a thing that really just shouldn’t be messed with all whole bunch. Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be killer, not wimpy, right? If I wanted super healthy, I wouldn’t make spaghetti carbonara…
So when it comes to the ultimate, nasty, messy, satisfying thing known as The Sloppy Joe, terms such as ‘low calorie’ and ‘deconstructed’ just don’t wash. If you’re making sloppy joes, they gotta be sloppy and that means the classic, original ketchup version.
Now, if you do want to get artsy fartsy, (or just make a better sloppy mess), you can poke around this blog and find house made ketchup and burger buns, and of course you can and should blend, season and grind your own meat, too.
That said, here’s the drill:
1 pound lean ground beef, or beef/pork blend
1/2 small sweet Onion, fine diced
1/4 green bell Pepper, fine diced
1 1/2 Cups Tomato Ketchup
1 – 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
In a sauté pan over medium high heat, sauté the onions and bell pepper until the onion starts to look translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add ground meat to the pan and cook through, stirring regularly, until meat is browned thoroughly.
Pour off fat from the pan, and then add ketchup, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste. Ketchup is quite sweet, but if you feel you need a bit more, go ahead and add the sugar.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the mixture beins to thicken.
Serve piping hot on lightly toasted buns.
Variations:
Adults and enlightened kids might like traditional burger fixin’s as well, like crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, dill pickles, and sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese.
Add a shot of smoked paprika, smoked salt, smoked pepper, barbecue sauce, or liquid smoke if you want a little more mojo.
Add 1 – 2 finely diced jalapeño, Serrano, or Hatch chiles for a spicier take on the theme.
Serve with house made fries or potato salad for a real treat!
Enjoy.
UrbanMonique 