Patsy’s Sloppy Joes
This recipe is a beloved one that evokes warm, fuzzy food memories for many people in our family. The first time we saw our Patsy whip up this recipe, we were in awe. She originally made it with a canned condensed chicken gumbo soup, then simply seasoned it with ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. We’ve come up with what we think is a spectacular representation of her original: tasty ground beef swimming in a pseudo chicken gumbo and layers of subtly sweet flavors. We think once you toast up one of our Hamburger Buns and smear on a layer of our Back Porch Mayo, you will wonder how you were ever satisfied with sloppy joes before.
Ingredients
yield: 4 cups (227 g) of sloppy joe filling
- 1 tbsp 15 ml avocado oil
- 1 lb 454 g grass-fed ground beef
- ½ cup 80 g diced sweet onion
- ¼ cup 37 g diced red bell pepper
- 1 tbsp 8 g cassava flour
- 1¼ cups 300 ml unsalted chicken bone broth
- 2 tbsp 32 g tomato paste
- 1 tbsp 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup 97 g diced frozen okra
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ⅛ tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup 240 ml sugar-free ketchup
- 2 tbsp 30 ml yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp 26 g coconut sugar
- 4 tsp 20 ml organic Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup 93 g cooked white basmati rice (optional; reduce the bone broth to 1 cup [240 ml] if not using)
- Hamburger Buns for serving (optional)
- Back Porch Mayo for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the avocado oil, beef, onion and bell pepper.
- Cook the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies are soft and slightly golden brown.
- Sprinkle the cassava flour over the meat and stir to coat everything with the flour.
- Then add the bone broth, tomato paste, vinegar, okra, salt, thyme and oregano.
- Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients well.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
- The cassava flour and okra will thicken the mixture at this point.
- Add the ketchup, mustard, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and rice (if using) and stir to combine everything well.
- Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
- Toast the Hamburger Buns (if using).
- Spread the Back Porch Mayo (if using) on the bottom bun.
- Fill the bun with 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 g) of the warm filling.
- Top the filling with the other half of the bun.
