ASIAN
SLOPPY JOES
As a kid I always looked
forward to my mom’s sloppy joes, which she made with hoisin
sauce in place of tomatoes and onions. It really worked. So I salute her
here with my own hoisin-sauce
version, which sneaks some tomatoes back in for acidic balance,
and includes jalapeño for a bit of heat. (Sorry, Mom!) I
also supplement the usual beef with ground pork—another bow to my
Asian roots. It’s a delicious
variation, but feel free to use the traditional beef alone (just please
make sure the ground beef has some fat in it, for flavor).
Serves 4 to
6
-
2
tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
-
2
medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
-
1
cup celery cut into 1/4-inch dice
-
2
jalapeños, stemmed and minced, or 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot
sauce
-
1 pound
ground beef
-
1 pound
ground pork
-
8 ounces
chopped roma tomatoes, canned or fresh
-
1
1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
-
Kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-
4 to 6
hamburger buns
-
1 head
of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1. Heat a
large deep, heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat
the pan. Add the onions,
celery, and jalapeños and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add
the beef and pork and brown lightly, breaking up any clumps with a
wooden spoon, about 5
minutes.
2. Add the
tomatoes and the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a slow
simmer and cook until cooked down and thickened enough
to mound when ladled, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Toast the
buns and place a bottom half on each serving plate. Top with some
of the lettuce, large scoops
of the sloppy joe mixture, and more lettuce. Place the top
buns over the contents and serve.
