The Sloppy Joe is a hamburger (or sandwich, as they call it in America), filled with minced meat. And you will say, like all hamburgers; but no, because we will not give the minced meat the classic hamburger shape. We simply cook it and put it inside the bun. That is why it is also known as a “messy burger”. And, as we saw in our gastronomic ephemeris calendar, March 18 we celebrate Sloppy Joe’s Day. It is a very typical American preparation, so join us to celebrate its day knowing a little more about this recipe, and seeing the history of the Sloppy Joe.
The United States is famous for its fast food. And it is the birthplace of hamburgers (although this is not really their origin, they are very, very popular there). Therefore, being so fond of this type of food, it is not surprising that we find such varied preparations as the Sloppy Joe. And of course, being a classic of American gastronomy for 70 years, the Sloppy Joe could not go without having its own day in the calendar.
But, what is the Sloppy Joe?
The Sloppy Joe is a hamburger made with ground beef and seasoned with different spices and sauces. What really distinguishes and characterizes it is that the minced meat is put on the burger “loose”, that is to say, it is not shaped like a hamburger.
Therefore, when it is eaten, the minced meat falls down the sides, spilling out. That’s where it gets its name from, literally meaning messy or sloppy Joe.
There are a multitude of recipes to make Sloppy Joe. We have already seen the most traditional recipe. If you don’t remember it, take a look at the most traditional Sloppy Joe recipe.
Although, as we said, there are many other recipes, because we can season the meat with many different ingredients. You can even elaborate this messy hamburger with minced meat of another type such as turkey, buffalo, pork…
Celebrate Sloppy Joe’s Day every March 18
Sloppy Joe’s Day is a date celebrated in the United States. It is the birthplace of this hamburger. And it is very popular and appreciated there. But, since it is such a delicious dish, we have decided to make this celebration our own.
So if you also like fast food, join us to celebrate Sloppy Joe’s Day with a fantastic recipe for you to make it at home.
Sloppy Joe Recipe
As we were saying, the best way to celebrate Sloppy Joe’s day is to prepare our messy hamburger at home. You will see that this recipe is very easy to prepare, we will simply cook the meat previously flavored with various condiments. For example, Worcestershire sauce is a staple of this burger, as is brown sugar.
But, in addition to these condiments, we are going to prepare a stir-fry with onion and garlic. That will also add a lot of flavor to the minced meat of our Sloppy.
Once the meat is cooked, we are simply going to accompany it with grated cheese. We are going to make the simplest version of this recipe. To taste it as it is. But remember that there are many varieties, and you can accompany your burger with many more ingredients. Then we will see some options.
Sloppy Joe Burger
Ingredients
- 2 Hamburger Bread
- 400 g Ground beef
- 1/2 Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 150 ml Fried Tomato
- 70 ml Ketchup
- 30 ml Barbecue Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Grated cheese
Instructions
- We start the Sloppy Joe by peeling and chopping the onion. Once ready, we fry it in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil. When the onion starts to become transparent, add the garlic, also chopped.Cook everything together for a few minutes until it starts to become transparent.
- We are going to add the minced meat. Cook until it is done, about 15 minutes, add the spices, ketchup, fried tomato and barbecue sauce, brown sugar and a little salt and pepper.Lower the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the mixture is ready, just serve it in the hamburger buns and, while the meat is hot, add some grated cheese on top.Your Sloppy Joe is ready.
Some versions to celebrate Sloppy Joe’s Day
The grated cheese is a must. You can also substitute it with cheese slices, put them while the meat is still very hot, so that it melts with the meat.
Remember that it is a hamburger. So you can put a multitude of accompaniments. From the most robust, such as crispy slices of bacon. To the classics with lettuce, tomato, raw or fried onion… Or you can even crown your messy burger with a fried egg if you want to prepare an extra caloric delight (a day is a day).
Something that looks great on burgers are pickles. So another option is to put a few bits of pickles on top of the meat.
History of the Sloppy Joe, how was this sandwich first created?
To get to the origin of the Sloppy Joe we have to go back to the year 1918, to Havana, Cuba. The story goes that this great messy sandwich originated at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, run by Spanish bartender José Albeal y Otero.
This bar did not open under this name. Rather, it was how it was known to his friends and most loyal parishioners, who had given it this affectionate nickname due to the disorder that always reigned in his establishment.
Over time, he became so famous that he decided to officially rename the bar with this new name.
Here, in addition to offering cocktails and cigars on his menu, he sold sandwiches. And one of his most appreciated sandwiches was made with ropa vieja, a classic Cuban dish (consisting of shredded meat and tomato sauce); and another of picadillo (minced meat with different spices).
Due to the Prohibition in the United States, this bar became a paradise for those who wanted to have a drink. Many were those who went down to Havana to have a drink, due to the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. That is how this sandwich began to gain more and more followers.
Legend has it that even Ernest Hemingway was a great fan of the original Sloppy Joe.
Some curiosities about this sandwich
And, we finish celebrating Sloppy Joe Day knowing some curiosities about the recipe. Well, it is such a popular and appreciated dish that there is no lack of curious anecdotes.
For example, Sloppy Joe became really popular when its canned version was launched. That’s right, as you read it. In the United States you can find the meat of this hamburger already prepared. Ready to heat and serve between two hamburger buns. Although you can imagine that the result will be quite different from the messy burger we prepare at home.
Did you know that it is also a very popular dish in school canteens? It is a very economical recipe, but at the same time very filling. But it is also very popular with the little ones. On Sloppy Joe’s day, it’s a big party in the school cafeteria.
This sandwich is so popular in America that it even appears in the movie Citizen Kane.
And with this we finish celebrating Sloppy Joe’s Day. A great messy burger with which, undoubtedly, we’ll be completely satisfied and won’t leave us indifferent.
So, if you also want to celebrate it, tell us how you are going to make your own Sloppy Joe, a bite as delicious as it is sticky.
If you liked it, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, opinions, tips… We love to read them! And don’t forget to follow us on social networks. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
