Sloppy Joes

[SobaAddict70]

What's the best Sloppy Joes you've had? Is Manwich the only brand out there that gives you a reliable product (assuming you don't want to make them from scratch)?

What are your recipes for Sloppy Joes?

I'm also interested in places (in the metropolitan NYC area) that routinely serve them.

Its not quite a craving on the level of a pregnant woman, but I've been thinking about it lately....

SA

[awbrig]

Manwich has a few different varieties like BBQ, Bold and original in a can. They also have it jarred which I havent tried. Heinz also has sloppy Joe mix but I havent tried that either. We usually have sloppy joes about once a year...and the time is coming up, funny you should mention it...

[tommy]

I'm also interested in places (in the metropolitan NYC area) that routinely serve them.

if you find out within say, the next 20 minutes, you had better tell us because now *I'M* craving a sloppy joe!

[Kim WB]

if you find out within say, the next 20 minutes, you had better tell us because now *I'M* craving a sloppy joe!

That's an easy one...Indian Fields elementary school has them on the menu today, with tossed salad, ginger snaps and a carton of milk, $1.65.

Never mind...Tommy hanging out with fourth graders is too scary!

I use the powder mix, I think by heinz, that you add beef and tomatoe paste to. They're not my cup of tea, but my one son lived on them when he firt got his braces and couldn't chew!

[Wilfrid]

Oh good, another American delicacy I've yet to try. What is this one, let me guess? Some kind of minced meat with powdered seasoning in a soft white bun? Am I close?

[Jinmyo]

Wilfrid, I believe the seasoning is tinned.

[tommy]

Oh good, another American delicacy I've yet to try.  What is this one, let me guess?  Some kind of minced meat with powdered seasoning in a soft white bun?  Am I close?

jerk.

ground beef with a tomato-based and nicely spiced sauce. on a soft bun.

possibly evolved from the south's loose meat sandwiches. no doubt another "american delicacy" that you've "yet to try" you "smug english bastard."

[Jinmyo]

From a web search. it seems that Worcestershire sauce is the primary seasoning. And it's a rather wet sandwich. Sounds like it should be a British butty.

[SobaAddict70]

Oh good, another American delicacy I've yet to try.  What is this one, let me guess?  Some kind of minced meat with powdered seasoning in a soft white bun?  Am I close?

Its certainly more palatable than toad-in-a-hole. Or colcannon for that matter. (Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes with HEAPS of butter, cream and cabbage or scallions.)

A good sloppy joe beats a poorly made hamburger anyday. A well-made sloppy joe is about as good as an excellent hamburger. But that's just me.

Hear, hear!

SA

[awbrig]

Long Live the Sloppy Joes! Hooray!

[Wilfrid]

Its certainly more palatable than toad-in-a-hole.  Or colcannon for that matter.  (Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes with HEAPS of butter, cream and cabbage or scallions.)

It's not a competition.

I am all in favor of po' boys, and tommy's "loose meat" -type sandwiches, and beef with debris, and all kinds of Amercian butties. This one happens to remind me of the minced beef sandwiches I used to think were excellent when I was about seven years old. But I should shut up and try one, of course.

Are there commercial outlets for these things, or are they strictly home-made?

[SobaAddict70]

Its certainly more palatable than toad-in-a-hole.  Or colcannon for that matter.  (Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes with HEAPS of butter, cream and cabbage or scallions.)

It's not a competition.

Are there commercial outlets for these things, or are they strictly home-made?

Of course not, W.

Either home-made, canned (Manwich), or from a diner -- you should beware one thing: a Sloppy Joe on a bun that falls apart as you consume it is a sad thing to behold. Cheap crappy hamburger buns are a definite no-no.

SA

[Priscilla]

There is a seasoning-packet Sloppy Joe thing (made by Lawry's I think) I know about because my sister gave me one for Christmas after my child came home waxing superlative about these amazing sandwiches he had at Aunt Kelly's. A j-o-k-e, like when she says, "He's never had a SLURPEE??? What kind of mother are you?"

And I thought cheap-ass hamburger buns were Regulation Sloppy Joe.

[Shiva]

The Known History of Sloppy Joes

[Jaymes]

I can't comment on any of the packaged products. Sloppy Joes were my middle son's very favorite thing when he was a kid and I made them a LOT. Not only for him and the family, but for sleepovers and kiddie potlucks, etc. I was afraid to try one of the commercial products because when my family was in the mood for Sloppy Joes, or if someone asked me to bring them to the Scout meeting, or swim meet, or soccer party, and they weren't any good, I'd have been in trouble.

I made two basic types: Sweet & Sour and Mexican

S&S Sloppy Joes

1 T Worsty

1 T dried onion flakes

1/2 t garlic powder

celery salt to taste

1/2 C catsup

1/4 t chili powder

1 T brown sugar

1 T vinegar

1 T yellow prepared mustard

6 oz cooked meat

Mix all ingredients and simmer in saucepan til thickened. Serve hot or cold on buns (good picnic sandwiches), or in chafing dish with small rolls alongside.

Now - for the "cooked meat" you can use anything. And I mean anything. Sometimes I'd cut up weiners. I've used leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. I very frequently used a can of drained tuna.

For the traditional ground beef, I brown the beef in the skillet, and saute the onions and fresh garlic, sometimes chopped bell peppers, just as you'd imagine, then simmer it all till thick. But it's just as good with dried onions and garlic powder.

Sloppy Jose's

1 lb ground beef

1 package Taco seasoning

Prepare beef according to Taco seasoning instructions (you may need to add a can of tomato sauce or something, but just do whatever it says.)

shredded lettuce

chopped onions

chopped tomatoes

shredded cheese

salsa (either home made, or Herdez brand, or, if you buy the whole "Taco shebang" kit thing with the shells, there will be some salsa in it)

Large-size hamburger buns

Prepare taco meat; spoon while still hot onto bottom of bun. Sprinkle meat with cheese so it melts a little. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa.

Put bun top on and eat.

EDIT: Can't help myself. Have to add a "story."

Was invited to a party, and we were told to bring "heavy hors d'oeuvres." I got home late that day, and discovered I didn't have any ground meat in the freezer, and didn't have time to shop, or to cook anything that took too long. So, I made the BBQ Tuna Sloppy Joes. At the party, I had the tuna hot in a fancy chafing dish, with rolls alongside. Everyone was shoveling them down enthusiastically. One of my friends came up to me and said, "Solve an arugment, will you? Helen says your Sloppy Joes are pork, but I think it's beef." I leaned over to her and said in a low voice (figuring this might not impress the crowd) "Actually, it's tuna." "TUNA!" she said loudly, "And you passed that off as MEAT?"

So, my BBQ tuna turned out to be the talk of the evening.

It's good. You should try it.

[GordonCooks]

Manwich is God-Awful - tastes like tomato paste and barbeque sauce.

Use a dry mix like French's or McCormick for good results. The only deviation I make is sweat some sweet onions and then add ground chuck..then the tomato paste...then blah, blah.blah...then - Sourdough Rolls !

[tommy]

i'm with that gordon who cooks fellow: extra onion is always a good thing. (manwich has the onion). little bits of celery wouldn't kill ya either, unless your name is sandra.

[monkeymay]

Sloppy Joe's...

At my old restaurant I ran it as kind of a joke special one night (my standing comment about the place was 'good food to soak up the alcohol' ). It ended up taking off (we sold 15 the first nite it ran) and remains a staple and a favorite on the menu.

Ours was made with:

coarse ground chuck

brown onions

garlic

crushed tomatoes

ketchup

beef stock

worcestshire

cayenne pepper

We served it on a sturdy toasted hamburger bun topped with shredded pepperjack cheese over a mess of buttermilk battered onion straws.

[SobaAddict70]

I've never had a cheesy joe. (sloppy joe with cheese)

Is this an (un)common variation?

[Varmint]

The sloppy joes that I grew up with always had a slightly sweet flavor to them. I think it was brown sugar. Plus they had onion, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, worcestershire, salt and pepper. We always put the meat in the bun, smeared a little butter on top, and broiled quickly to melt the butter.

I still make them like that for the L'il Varmints.

[Jaymes]

I've never had a cheesy joe.  (sloppy joe with cheese)

Is this an (un)common variation?

In my recipe (see earlier in the thread) my kids would sometimes put cheese on theirs.

I also gave the recipe for Mexican Sloppy Joes - Sloppy Jose's - and it always had cheese.

Also, sometimes would serve Mom's & Dad's sandwiches with a big slice of onion, or fresh tomato, or pickles.

[tommy]

am i the only one who is going to have a sloppy joe (or 2) for dinner tonite?

[jhlurie]

For some reason my parents didn't believe in sloppy joes. As a kid I maybe had one two or three times in a restaurant. Maybe the same amount of times as an adult since then...

But still... to confuse a Sloppy Joe with any kind of Club Sandwich is just wrong.

But Loose Meat sandwiches are cool. Push up the debris and drop it on my bun.

[sladeums]

Never had them much as a kid, but when my children were younger and less opinionated we made them with some regularity.

I never liked the Manwich mess in the can, but the 'Not-So-Sloppy-Joe' sauce was not so bad, I thought. Made by Heinz I believe (?).

A little more spice, thicker...a little more akin to a sweet-ish barbecue sauce as opposed to Manwich which just really tastes too close to ketchup for me.

Don't sound too bad right now actually, now that you mention it.

[gknl]

am i the only one who is going to have a sloppy joe (or 2) for dinner tonite?

I wish I were joining you, but I have to work tonight. And besides, it's way too hot to cook anything today. This weekend for sure though, heat wave or no. . . .

I even like that Manwich stuff. One of my housemates after college would make that at least once a week. I think it was all she could cook.