The Home Cook: Taverns

Men love meat. Well lots of men do, the men in my life are no exception...in fact they are a particularly a Meat and Potatoes group of guys. So when it comes to fast carnivorous meals, this one tops the list. It's a yummy, fast and leftover friendly concoction know the world over as the Tavern, Sloppy Joe or Loose Meat sandwich. (Though generally speaking Loose Meat usually refers to a shredded beef mixture instead of the ground option we're toying with today.)

This recipe is from the vast stores of my mom and was a staple menu item in our house; it also had the honor of being one of the first recipes I copied into my own collection shortly after getting my first real kitchen. It can easily be doubled, tripled or whatever to feed a large group, it can be done in a crock-pot and is great for potluck type affairs. It is also easily manipulated to find the flavor custom fit to your palette. In fact the original recipe calls for chopped celery and green peppers in whatever amount suits your fancy...in my case it's none since I don't care for the crunchy counterpoints to an otherwise smooth textured bun filler. I've also taken the liberty to add garlic and cayenne pepper to enhance the base flavor.

Tavern

1 lb. Ground beef or turkey
1/2 Onion, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 can Tomato Soup, condensed
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon White or Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
Salt, Pepper and Chili Powder, to taste
cayenne Pepper, to taste (optional)

Crumble and brown ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic in a heavy skillet. Drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low to medium low heat for one hour. Serve on hamburger buns with a slice of cheese. Make approximately 8 - 10 servings.

*You can also assembled the browned hamburger and remaining ingredients in a crockpot and simmer on low for a few hours before serving. Check and stir the mixture periodically to keep from burning or drying out. You may need to add a bit of water.