If you've ever been to a picnic, potluck, or one of those low-stakes, domestic beer-fueled parties known in the Midwest as a "get-together," then you're probably familiar with the ubiquitous sandwich-gamble that is the sloppy joe. Basically an uber-thick beef soup slathered into a hamburger bun at structurally unsound levels, a sloppy joe's taste can range anywhere from deliciously well-spiced to sad meaty tomato paste. Eating one is both a step out into the flavor fog and a risk of irrevocably staining your shirt.
Of course, the best way to avoid these potential pitfalls is to simply make your own. Our sloppy joe recipe uses very simple ingredients, requires only the most rudimentary grasp of culinary technique, and comes straight from the weathered, hand-written recipe card of a grandmother to your glowing rectangle. In the end, you'll have a tasty, crowd-pleasing sloppy joe that's tantalizingly savory and a tiny bit sweet.
Sloppy Joe Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85-90% lean)
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup water (for a thicker SJ, use a little less)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
In a bowl, mix the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, and mustard. Add a pinch of both salt and pepper.
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Then, put all the ground beef into a large pan over medium heat. Since a pound and a half is actually quite a bit of meat, you may want to do this first before all other prep work. It should take about 15 minutes for the beef to adequately brown. (Also, feel free to halve all of the ingredients--the recipe above feeds 4-5 people.) Keep the heat consistent and stir so that the beef cooks evenly.
Next, wash, skin, and dice the onion.
Add the onion to the cooking beef. It may seem like a lot at first, but don't worry--onion cooks down in no time and will give the finished product an awesome texture.
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Once the beef is cooked to a darker-than-grey hue, cover the pan with a lid and drain off all of the grease. Also, be careful with how you dispose of said grease. With the pan back over the flame, add the ketchup, brown sugar, and spice mixture to the pan. Stir, add the water, and stir some more. After about a minute the entire mix should take on a consistent rusty color. Now, stand proudly before your stovetop and smile at your triumph; what was once merely cooked beef is becoming sloppy joe.
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
After stirring a bit more, add some Worcestershire sauce. If we're being precise, the pan could probably use two and a half tablespoons of the stuff. But to hell with that, these are sloppy joes! Open that bottle and splash some right into the mix, shouting "WORCESTERSHIRE TIME!" as you do. Is there any word in the English language that's more fun to say? All together now, "Whurrrstuhshuurr!"
All that's left to do at this point is to keep stirring the sloppy ever 1-2 minutes, letting the water cook away and the entire mix thicken as it simmers. Taste some and add more salt and/or pepper to taste. Then, on a plate, ready the burger bread of your choice (we're partial to potato buns). Spoon a lot of the sloppy joe out of the pan and into each bun. Let cool for two minutes and enjoy!
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
