Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped, discard the seeds and ribs
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 T. tomato paste or 2 T. dried tomato powder dissolved in a few tablespoons of water
• 1/3 cup catsup
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
• toasted hamburger buns

Chop all vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or Dutch oven. As soon as the oil is hot, turn the temperature down to medium high, add the onion, celery, peppers, and cook until soft but not browned, about 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir well. Increase the heat a bit, and add the ground beef. Cook while constantly stirring until the meat has lost all the red color. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and add the tomato sauce, paste, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick. If it gets too thick, too fast (the simmering time should be about 30 minutes), add a bit of water.

Serve either open or closed-face on a toasted hamburger bun. Even little kids love Sloppy Joes; this is a cross-generational