Thursday, May 19, 2011

S+S chow: neat joes

Who doesn't love a sloppy joe? Seriously. We had a game night last weekend, and these babies were on the menu. They were devoured and enjoyed by all! We stole this one from good ol' Bobby Flay and made a few minor changes (it calls for molasses and we didn't want it too sweet). While this recipe is a bit time consuming, it is TOTALLY worth it. It makes a huge amount and even gives you a double dose of the sauce which could easily be frozen and used the next go-around (cutting the cooking time in half!). We love the flavors in this meal- great kick coupled with a little sweetness, divine. Serve on potato buns, top with some crispy fried onions and you are good as gold! ENJOY!

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle puree (depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol or cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Neat Joes:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 pounds ground chuck (80/20)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup small dice red onion
  • 1/2 cup small dice celery
  • 1/2 cup small dice roasted poblano chile
  • 1/2 cup small dice roasted red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup small dice roasted yellow bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 1/4 cups BBQ Sauce, recipe above
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions

For the BBQ Sauce:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
*Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.
For the Neat Joes:
Heat the oil over high heat in a large high-sided saute pan until the oil begins to smoke. Add the beef, breaking it up into small pieces using a metal spatula or wooden spoon, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.
Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano, bell peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ancho powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add the BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup of water and the ketchup, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the mustard, Worcestershire, honey, brown sugar and molasses. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4 comments:

You are the best, the most, the everything.