I spent the last month recovering from Covid. Yes, a month!
The entire time I felt like my cough was going to be my cause of death but dying from boredom might have been the other reason for my demise.
How much Netflix can a person watch?
Back to the Sloppy Joes? As I am lying (dying) in bed and there is nothing on television, I started to think about Sloppy Joes. I haven’t had a Sloppy Joe since I was a kid. My mom would make it for dinner every so often. I would have preferred a hamburger over the Sloppy Joe.
What is so appealing to Americans about the Sloppy Joe? It’s a lazy hamburger with a sweetened tomato sauce plopped onto a hamburger bun. If you didn’t have hamburger buns, white bread slices took its place. The bread would be soggy and your hands covered in greasy tomato sauce.
Since I had nothing else to do. I decided to do some research on this American classic. Some say the Sloppy Joe is also known as the “ loose meat sandwich or tavern burgers” got its origins in Sioux City, Iowa in the 1930s. Served at a lunch counter called Ye Olde Cafe and was created by a man named Joe.
Joe’s recipe included ground beef, chopped onion, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and vinegar. This recipe validated my opinion of the Sloppy Joe. It’s just a lazy hamburger.
Here is where Enerst Hemmingway, Havana, Cuba, and this guy Jose come in.
José Abeal y Otero, a Spanish immigrant, opened a bar in Havana, Cuba. He was nicknamed by John J. Mcgraw (a baseball player) “Dirty Joe” and/or “ Sloppy Joe”. Jose later changed the name of his bar to “ Sloppy Joe” to appeal to American tourists.
Jose and his cantineros (Cuban bartenders) not only popularized the mojito ( mint, lime, sugar, rum, & club soda). Jose is credited for creating the Sloppy Joe sandwich. Jose put picadillo on a roll similar to a brioche. If you ever had a medianoche sandwich, it’s that bread. He served it to his regulars and it was a hit.
The sandwich was such a hit that Enerst Hemmingway, who frequented Jose’s bar. Convinced his friend Joe Russell, the owner of the Silver slipper in Key West. To change the name of the bar to “ Sloppy Joes” and to serve the Sloppy Joe sandwich. The sandwich is still on the menu today.
In 2013, Sloppy Joe’s in Havana reopened after being closed for 49 years. The bar still is serving up all of its classic cocktails and the famous “Sloppy Joe sandwich.
If you find yourself craving a Sloppy Joe, you can always open a can of Manwich and add it to cooked ground beef. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, take a trip to Iowa, Key West, or if you’re lucky enough to Havana, Cuba.
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