Smoky Joes
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 5, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine½ teaspoon table salt 2 cloves garlic, minced½ teaspoon chili powder 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef Ground black pepper 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 cup tomato puree ½ cup barbecue sauce ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce 4 deli-style onion rolls
Before You Begin
Be careful not to cook the meat beyond pink in step 1; if you let it brown at this point it will end up dry and crumbly. The meat will finish cooking once the liquid ingredients are added. Serve, piled high on a bun, with your favorite pickles.
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and stir until coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 10 minutes (if onion begins to burn after 5 minutes, reduce heat to low). Add garlic and chili powder and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, barbecue sauce, water, and hot sauce. Simmer until Sloppy Joe sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Spoon meat mixture onto onion rolls and serve.
- Make Ahead
- If you find yourself with leftover Smoky Joes or just feel like making a double batch, the meat mixture freezes well for up to one month. To return the meat mixture to its original consistency, you may need to add a little water when it is reheated.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to develop a recipe for Smoky Joes with a more balanced, less sweet flavor. Cooking the ground beef until just pink—not browned—before adding the sauce ensures the meat stays tender. Combining tomato puree and barbecue sauce yields a sufficiently sweet, smoky, rich tomato base. Flavoring the filling with garlic, chili powder, and hot pepper sauce gives the Smoky Joes some heat to balance their sweetness.
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