sloppy joe

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Sloppy Joe

Above: A homemade sloppy joe with coleslaw Below: Sloppy joe meat being prepared
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Wimpies, Yip yips, Slushburgers, Barbecues, Hot tamales, Taverns
Place of origin	United States
Details
Course	Main
Serving temperature	Hot, sometimes served cold after improvising on the original burger
Main ingredient(s)	Ground beef, onions, Sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup, various seasonings, hamburger bun
Variations	Multiple

A sloppy joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun.^[1] Commercially made sauces are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegetarian substitute for the meat. The Original Sloppy Joe Sandwich was invented by a cook named Joe at a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, as a variation of the popular "loose meat" sandwich (which does not contain tomato sauce).^{[citation needed]}

U.S. variations on the term

Sloppy joes are also referred to as:

• Barbecues in other areas of the Upper Midwest, and also in some parts of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
• Dynamites in northern Rhode Island.
• Gulash (not to be confused with Goulash) in parts of the Upper Midwest, especially in areas where people of Scandinavian heritage are prominent.
• Hot Tamales in parts of Southeastern Wisconsin (Sheboygan), a misnomer as actual tamales are a completely different food item.^{[citation needed]}
• Manwich in parts of Northern New Jersey, after the popular name brand sauce, as a distinction from the local variant also known as a "sloppy joe" (see below).
• Sloppy Janes in parts of central Minnesota.
• Slushburgers in parts of the Upper Midwest, particularly in eastern Montana and western North Dakota
• Spanish Hamburgers in parts of East-central Wisconsin (Neenah).
• Steamers in parts of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
• Taverns in parts of northwest Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
• Wimpies in parts of the Northeast USA, especially Northeastern Pennsylvania
• Yum Yums in parts of the Midwest USA, particularly in Nebraska

The New Jersey sloppy joe

In parts of northern New Jersey, a "sloppy joe" refers to a cold delicatessen sandwich, unrelated to the type of sandwich described above. There are minor variations depending on the deli, but it is always a triple decker rye bread sandwich made with one or more types of sliced deli meat, such as turkey, ham, pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, or sliced beef tongue, along with swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing.^[2] Some delis make a "foot-long" variety which is sliced in half before being served.

The Town Hall Deli in South Orange claims to have invented the New Jersey sloppy joe in the 1930s. According to the deli's owner, a Maplewood politician named Thomas Sweeney returned from a vacation in Cuba, where he spent time at a bar named Sloppy Joe's -- from which the Key West bar obtained its name. The bar's owner laid out fixings for patrons, who put sandwiches together. Sweeney asked Town Hall to cater his poker games with the same sort of sandwiches, and they caught on.^[3]

International variations on the term

• China: The Rou jia mo, which originated in Shaanxi Province.
• Australia: Called a "Savoury Mince Roll." The same ingredients as a Sloppy joe are used, but the meat and sauce are poured into a pocket made in a square bread roll.
  • In Australia, the term "sloppy joe" is a colloquial term for a sweatshirt^[4] or loose-fitting pullover, often made from fleecy lined cotton.^[5]
• Quebec, Canada: Called pain à la viande; served on a hot-dog roll; not to be confused with Pain de viande (meatloaf)

See also

• List of sandwiches
• Manwich
• Tavern sandwich

References

External links

• Sloppy Joe history at Town Hall Deli
• South Orange; Where Sloppy is Neat (NY Times)
• An Ode to Sloppy Joe, a Delicious Mess