Sloppy Joes on Homemade Buns

We had our first Sloppy Joe many years ago at a little lunchroom that has since closed it’s doors. It was our first and only time until now. When Stefan saw Gwen’s recipe (in Dutch) he wanted to eat it as soon as possible.

He made the delicious sauce and the coleslaw and I made the hamburger buns to go with them.

Ingredients (4-6 servings):

500 g (17.5 ounces) half mince beef and half mince pork

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, chopped into small cubes

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1 red chili, finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

250 g (9 ounces) passata (sieved tomatoes)

½ cup barbecue sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

¼-½ tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper

Flavorless oil for frying

Gwen’s recipe uses Tabasco and chili powder. We only used chili powder and Jack Daniels barbecue sauce instead of making our own.

The sauce

Take a large pan or wok. Fry the onion and red pepper in a bit of oil until softened. Add the garlic and red chili and cook until fragrant.

Add the minced meat and loosen it while cooking. Once the meat has browned, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and the sugar. Mix well.

Add the passata, barbecue sauce and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer to develop the flavors.

We made the sauce earlier in the day which helps develop the flavors. There are many dishes that I prefer made in advance like stews and chili.

We made the Sloppy Joes with homemade hamburger buns and a simple coleslaw.

I was able to make 6 portions for just the two of us. I’ll be sharing the coleslaw recipe later.

Some of our leftovers I served with potato wedges and grated cheese.

You could also stuff baked potatoes with the sauce and top them with a sour cream and chives sauce.