Our version of the sloppy joe. But not that sloppy. And not that joe.
A little indulgent, but not nearly as indulgent as it tastes.
The only meal we make in our household in large quantity that we don’t get tired of before it’s gone.
We like to think your inner-foodie will rejoice.
The Eliminations
Where to begin? This recipe isn’t remotely like traditional sloppy joes.
A family member who tried it said, with its boozy aspect, our josephines tastes more like beef bourguignon and we can definitely see it.
While there are a few naughty aspects (added sugars) to this recipe, it’s buffered with quality swaps that add a little nutrition to its profile, instead of empty calories.
Compared to sloppy joe recipes, here’s what we have taken out of our hot mess josephines:
- Oil
- Mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Bell pepper
The Swaps
Compared to a lot of sloppy joe recipes, here’s what we’ve swapped out in our hot mess josephines:
With these substitutions, we’ve eliminated some fat and, while we haven’t eliminated the sugar, we have swapped to a healthier sugar profile with more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including B6, iron, calcium, and potassium.
How long do hot mess josephines take?
Us: 1 hour (15 minutes prep/sautéing, 45 minutes cook time)
Fast Food Preppers: 1 – 1 ½ hours, depending on cooking method (15 minutes prep/sautéing, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes cook time)
What’s the flavor like?
Dreamy. Absolutely dreamy.
The sherry is piquant, the molasses sultry, and the tiny dash of cacao adds a richness beyond its measly measure.
Plus, ginger and beef, one of our food OTPs.
What’s the texture like?
Drier than what you’re probably expecting from a sloppy joe even with the sauce.
The sauce is slightly thinner.
What can go wrong?
Not much. There’s nothing real problematic here.
If you reduce any of the liquids, you can’t do it by a whole lot or you may not have enough liquid to bring your Instant Pot (which is how we cook ours) to pressure.
Same for the stove. If you choose to cook your josephines conventional-style, make sure to keep enough liquid in the mix. To fully infuse, these josephines need to simmer a while and there’s a fair amount of sugar in the recipe, so make sure you use enough liquid and keep a close watch or you might have some sticking.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind before you get started:
The ground angus can help.
Angus has more marbling and better fat distribution than a lot of standard ground beef, which helps counteract the low fat percentage of both the beef and the turkey in this recipe.
But you don’t have to have angus to get the job done.
You can also opt for USDA Prime or USDA Choice ground beef to keep things tender and juicy.
An electric pressure cooker is highly useful.
While you don’t need a pressure cooker to get this recipe right, it really helps these flavors infuse.
Using a pressure cooker also means you won’t have to watch the pot during the simmer phase, which makes this feel more like a 15-minute than an hour-long recipe.
Don’t up the salt.
Some of the best accompaniments we’ve found to this recipe have salt in them. So, we recommend keeping the salt level as is (at least the first time you make it) until you know how it tastes with your choice of toppings.
The Recipe
We make our hot mess josephine in the Instant Pot because it’s perfect for infusing these flavors. But the stovetop works just fine too. We’ve included both recipes for versatility.
Hot Mess Josephines
A booze-infused loose meat concoction.
Call them sexy. Call them tasty. Just don't call them sloppy joes.
(Electric Pressure Cooker Directions)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground angus (93/7)
- 1 lb. ground turkey (93/7)
- 1-in. fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 small onion (½ large onion)
- ½ tsp salt
- dash black pepper
- 2 tsp cacao (3 tsp cocoa)
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅜ c cream sherry (¼ c + 2 tbsp)
- ¼ c water
Instructions
1. Add the angus and turkey to the pot of your electric pressure cooker.
2. Saute on normal, stirring constantly until enough juice has released into the pot to prevent sticking.
3. Add fresh ginger, garlic and onion to the pot. Saute until the meat is fully browned, breaking up meat as it cooks.
4. Cancel the saute.
5. Add salt, pepper, cacao and powdered ginger to the pot and stir well.
6. Add all other ingredients and stir until fully combined.
7. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with NPR (about 20 minutes).
8. Take lid off pressure cooker and saute on normal 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly to cook out some of the liquid.
Notes
You don't have to saute the excess liquid out of this recipe, but it is a thinner sauce. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can retain the excess liquid and thicken it with starch or flour.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information for our hot mess josephines is based on Instant Pot cooking.
How much end product you’ll have depends a lot on cooking method. (More liquid cooks out on the stove.)
It should also be noted these josephines have a fair amount of added sugars, around 4.5 g per serving when divided into 12 servings.
The Toppings
Like sloppy joe, hot mess josephine can be used to top a variety of things (potatoes, noodles, hot dogs), but we like ours best as straight-up sandwiches with toppings.
While we think this hot mess josephine is standout on its own, the right accompaniments really kick it up a notch.
Here are the best things we’ve found to take this one to the stratosphere:
- Pickled jalapenos
- Pepperoncinis
- Chili crisp
- Cheese
Why our hot mess josephines?
This stuff is freakin’ delicious.
It may not be as health-conscious as some of our other meals, but it’s also not entirely health-averse.
When you need some comfort food to get through a rough week, or just want to make your palate sing, this one really hits the spot.