Well hello.

It’s been a very long time.

What was I doing?

Well, I was in California visiting family and friends for much of the month of July. And then there was this little matter to be taken care of. But as of September 1, it’s off my desk. (At least until edits come back; then bread and I will once again become very close.)

However, during my hiatus I did cook… and eat.

Call it regression, call it nostalgia, but I made sloppy joes this summer. And the recipe was good enough that I had to share. I hadn’t eaten a sloppy joe in years. Probably 20 or so. My grandma used to make them for lunch occasionally. (Yes, they were from a can– or at least the sauce was.) Needless to say, they were not a stellar representation. Sometimes we would get them at camp– the perfect entree for feeding hundreds of sweaty kids– slop in a bowl! So let’s just say, my memories of sloppy joe filling were not the greatest. But I had a feeling that there could be more to this sandwich than ground beef and sweet, red sauce.

I looked around the web a bit, and found that many recipes were just browned ground beef, and a bottle of barbeque sauce. That wasn’t what I remembered, or what I wanted. Some recipes were simply ketchup with a lot of brown sugar– too sweet. So I toyed with my own recipe.

This filling is slightly sweet, a tad acidic, with just a hint of spice. And yes, it’s sloppy– but not excessively so. Served with an old-fashioned, spongy potato roll, these sloppy joes should have been the sandwich of my youth. Instead, they can be the sandwich of my 30s.

Sloppy Joes

Makes 4-6 sandwiches

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Siracha, or other chili paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

potato rolls, for serving

In a large frying pan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and green pepper, season with salt and pepper, and saute, until the onion is transparent, and the pepper softens. About 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and the ground beef, turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Continue to saute until the beef is no longer pink. If you would like, the pan may be drained at this point, of any cooking liquid, but I didn’t have much liquid or grease.

Add the ketchup, tomato paste, Siracha, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, and brown sugar. Stir well, add 1/4 cup of water, season with salt and pepper, and stir again. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stirring frequently, cook for 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning, and add additional salt and pepper, if needed. If you would like the mixture to be dryer, turn the heat up, and continue to cook for a few minutes more.

The rolls may be toasted for additional crispiness. Serve the sloppy joe filling while still warm.