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Harissa Sloppy Joes
I should probably preface this post by telling you I've never had an actual sloppy joe. I don't know what the traditional seasonings are, I just know it's ground beef in some kind of tomato based sauce on a bun; so when I made this sandwiches I didn't know what else to call them; they're my version of a sloppy joe.
Start by mincing half and onion and one carrot. I don't think carrot is very traditional in sloppy joes but it adds a nice bit of sweetness.
Then sauté the onion and carrot in a cast iron pan with some olive oil and a big pinch of salt until they become tender, then add two cloves of minced garlic right at the end. Once the veggies are tender, add in a pound of ground beef. I use 80/20 ground beef, which means the meat is 80% lean and 20% fat. I prefer this mix because it has more flavor and is much more moist than a leaner combination would be.
Break the meat up as it cooks, and once it is browned, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes until you start to get some little bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Next, add in a big tablespoon of harissa. (You've never heard of it?!) Harissa is one of my absolute favorite ingredients; it's a North African chili paste blended with lots of spices and a little tomato. It's spicy, flavorful, and it gives these sloppy joes a really unique flavor. Larger, specialty grocery stores should be stocked with harissa, but I actually found this particular brand at TJMaxx.
Stir in the harissa, then add some Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, chicken broth, and some more salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce gets thick and that's it! This is SUCH a quick meal to put together. All I do is serve on toasted bulkie rolls with some homemade pickle chips and you're good to go!
Recipe:
Total Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 sandwiches (4 if using regular hamburger buns)
Ingredients:
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt & Pepper
1 lb ground beef
3 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs harissa paste
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
Bulkie rolls
Butter
Pickles
Cheddar cheese slices
1. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat with 2 tbs olive oil and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper and sauté the carrots and onions unil tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes more.
2. Add the ground beef the pan and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned throughout.
3. Stir in 3 tbs tomato paste and cook for another five minutes, until some brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the harissa paste, Worcestershire, mustard, soy, chicken broth and another teaspoon of salt and cook until the sauce is thickened.
5. While the sauce is thickening, butter the rolls and broil them on low for just about 2 minutes to toast them (face the flat side up toward the broiler). Add a slice of cheddar to the bottom buns and broil for just another minute to melt the cheese.
6. Top the buns with a heaping spoonful of the meat mixture and a couple pickles.