Sloppy joe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the bar in Key West, see Sloppy Joe's (bar).
In the United States, a sloppy joe is a hot sandwich, typically composed of ground beef cooked in a skillet with highly seasoned tomato sauce or tomato paste and spread between two sides of a bun. Commercially made sauces, such as Manwich, are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegetarian or vegan substitute for the meat. Sloppy joes are simpler version of a barbeque sandwich which uses shredded beef or pork and barbecue sauce. A sloppy joe that is made from ground turkey instead of ground beef is also known as a sloppy tom.[1]
The term "sloppy" comes from the fact that eating it as if it were a normal sandwich often results in the meat and sauce spilling out. It may also be served "open face", with the bun halves or slices of bread next to each other and the meat on top of each. A sloppy joe served with no bun at all is known as a saucy beefeater.
According to the "In Mama’s Kitchen" website,
- "[R]esearch at the Carnegie Library suggests that the Sloppy Joe began in a Sioux City, Iowa, cafe as a "loose meat sandwich" in 1930, the creation of a cook named Joe..." [2]
In the Midwest, particularly in the state of Iowa, a variant known as the loosemeat sandwich, or a Maid-Rite is found. This version of the sandwich is made with only seasoned ground beef, and does not include a tomato-based sauce.
Sloppy joes are also referred to as wimpies in parts of the Northeast USA, especially northeastern Pennsylvania, and as "yip yips" in parts of southwestern Illinois near St. Louis.
[edit] Variations on the term
In parts of New Jersey, sloppy joe refers to a completely different type of sandwich. There are a handful of variations depending on the deli, but it will always include some sort of deli meat (turkey, ham, roast beef, or sliced cow tongue), Swiss cheese, cole slaw, and Russian dressing on rye bread. Legend has it, the sandwich was named after "Sloppy Joe's Bar" in Havana, Cuba. This is where Robert Sweeney, the mayor of Maplewood, first discovered a similar sandwich in 1934 and created a new version which found its way onto the menu at the "Town Hall Deli" in South Orange.
The version at the Towne Deli across from the New Providence train station historically was prepared sans corn beef or pastrami, as was the version at the Hill City Deli in Summit.
During the 1950s, sloppy joe was used to refer to a popular pullover sweater style. They were usually oversized and worn over unironed trousers (usually black), with the sleeves pushed up. It was a popular teenage fashion for boys and girls. This meaning is still used in parts of Australia, though it has come to identify any pullover sweater, for either sex.
[edit] Variations on the recipe
A 'feminine' counterpart named Sloppy Jane sandwich consists of hot dog sausage, baked beans, mustard, minced onion, chili sauce, packed into hot dog buns[3].
