Michigan Cottage Cook: NOT JUST ANY SLOPPY JOES. THIS ONE HAS MOM’S SECRET INGREDIENT.

Mom didn’t use many spices, not many were available in the Midwest in the 1950’s, but she did find Worcestershire sauce a handy ingredient to add layers of flavor to her dishes. Worcestershire sauce is a fermented sauce made with vinegar, sugar, anchovies, onion, garlic, salt, tamarind concentrate, cloves, chili pepper and other ingredients. It was developed in England by chemists trying to recreate a curry sauce.

To stay out the drive-thru restaurants on busy weekend, I find having things in the house for quick lunches helps us to eat more wholesomely. We come home from grandchildren’s soccer, baseball or football games hungery and for me tired. Sloppy Joes made on Fridays helps get us through the weekends without succumbing to French fries and a shake.

I like to do with the buns the same thing I do with the sub buns in Italian Subs Michigan-style, I take out some of the soft middle bread part of the rolls so there is more room for the meat mixture and less carbohydrates.

MOM'S BARBECUE SAUCE FOR SLOPPY JOES
My Mom got this recipe from an old school cafeteria cook back in the early 1950's. At that time all the food served at hot lunch was made by the cooks in the school kitchens. They made bread and rolls, cakes and cookies, sauces, stews, and casseroles. The cooks were very proud of their work and very secretive with their recipes. Mom probably made many trips to school with plates of homemade cookies to get this recipe. On the days that Sloppy Joes were served the school always smelled fantastic. The sandwich was served with potato chips and carrot sticks. I didn’t get to eat them at school as I had to walk four blocks home for lunch and 4 blocks back to school during my lunch time.

1 c water
1 c catsup
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c onion, very finely chopped
1/2 c celery, very finely chopped
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t dry mustard
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Use one cup of sauce to one pound of browned ground beef, drained of fat. Heat sauce and ground beef together; simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on warm hamburger buns. Refrigerate or freeze extra sauce or freeze sloppy joe mixture.