Sloppy Joe

The other day, I saw a commercial for Manwich that gave me a craving for Sloppy Joes. My mom made the best ones while I was growing up and I was longing for the comfort of those wax paper wrapped sandwiches. I turned to my copy of Joy of Cooking and used the recipe there. I will start off by saying that there was way too much bell pepper and way too much Worcestershire in the recipe for me. Against my better judgement ,I followed the recipe (so unlike me) and was disappointed. I will have to get mom's recipe and have another go at it.

Sloppy Joe

Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Add:

1 small onion , finely diced

1 small red or yellow bell pepper, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large celery ribs, finely diced

Sat and black pepper to taste

Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, transfer to a plate. Add to the skillet and slightly increase heat:

1 1/4 lb. ground chuck

Cook, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, just until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (I removed some of the fat here). Add onion mixture, along with:

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup beer

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve on toasted French rolls.