.png)
Gourmet (“Best Damn”) Sloppy Joes, to Feed a Crowd on the Cheap
With prices on beef rapidly rising, maybe it’s time to
crank back out the casual dish that used to feed a lot of people for limited
money. Its a fun dish I always liked, whether at the high school cafeteria or
at home feeding a crowd.
“Sloppy Joes” emerged, obscurely, from Depression-era
America as a way to season and stretch ground beef. It’s a sort of cheeseburger
with all the fixings thrown together while cooking. Spooned onto a bun, the
savory mixture is irregular and can drip a little as you eat it. Thus, I guess,
the “sloppy.”
Decades ago, when my wife graduated from college and
we had little money, Christina’s rich relation, the substantial Aunt Babby,
came to the graduation and to our celebratory picnic after it. I served Sloppy
Joes. Having grown up with Old Money in New York City, fed sumptuously by
family servants and at classy restaurants, Babby announced gamely, “Well, I
don’t believe I’ve ever had a Sloppy Joe before!” Returning vigorously for
seconds, she declared, “Well, that’s the best damn Sloppy Joe I ever ate!”
Sloppy Joes combine hamburger (or ground turkey
nowadays) with onions, ketchup, mustard, cheese and seasonings. I stretch it
even further with bulgar wheat. They’re are served on hamburger buns or Kaiser
rolls. Pickles, coleslaw or salad accompany the dish well. Sloppy Joes cry out
for beer, especially at a picnic or tailgaiting. But hearty, not too pricey,
red wines also do fine.
The recipe serves 6 people. Leftovers keep and reheat
well.
1/3 cup bulgur wheat (available at whole food and
health food stores)
1 pound ground beef (80 % lean or more) or ground turkey
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small or 1/2 large carrot, grated
1 large bay leaf
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced or put through garlic
press
5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
5 teaspoons sugar
7 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 ounces cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes or grated
Soak the bulgur wheat in about 3 cups of hot water for 30
minutes. Drain in a sieve. Meanwhile, fry the meat in a heavy, non corrosive
pot, breaking up the meat and stirring frequently. When the juices start to dry
down, set the pot off the heat, make a cavity in the meat, and spoon out and
discard the majority of grease. Return the meat to the heat and add the chopped
onions. Stir frequently, cook until the onions are translucent. Add the grated
carrot, bay leaf, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, covered, stirring from
time to time, until the carrot bits are tender. Lower the heat, add the dry
seasonings, and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the tomato paste (or ketchup)
and mustard. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for several minutes. Add the
drained bulgur, and cook, stirring occasionally (the bulgur makes the mixture
stick to the bottom a little), for 5-10 minutes, until the bulgur is tender
when you bite it. Do not add water unless the mixture is very dry. Stir in the
salt toward the end of this cooking.
Add the sugar and vinegar, and let simmer, stirring
occasionally, for several minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the
cheese, and heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted and no longer
is stringy. Remove the bay leaf. Taste a final time and add salt if necessary.
You can also add a little sugar or vinegar, to taste.
It’s best to make the Sloppy Joes a few hours or up to
several days ahead of time, refrigerate, then reheat to serve. Check the salt
before serving.
Serve on Kaiser rolls or burger buns, A little grated
cheese can be served on top of the mixture, if desired. Accompany by coleslaw
(or salad) and/or pickles.
