The ingredients included things like onion, tomato paste and purée, red wine, bell pepper, and celery. It also contained sausage and hamburger. There was no ketchup in this recipe, but it did have some Worcestershire sauce and a bit of brown sugar. A little bit of jalapeño pepper was tossed in to add a little heat, just to keep New Mexico cuisine a little on the menu.
At least a couple of times a month, it was on the menu at school. All of us looked forward to those days. All that meaty messiness on a bun. It always, always was served with crinkly fries. Which, as I’m sure you saw it coming, I also served with my version of the sandwich.
What I made was Grown-up Sloppy Joe’s!
The vegetables were sautéed rather than baked as instructed. The jalapeño was extra of course, Extra garlic is always added. Rather than using just hamburger, I also used breakfast sausage. A very sweet wine was substituted for the called for Pinot Noir because it was open and close at hand.
What was so satisfying, other than the taste, was the evolution of taste as the broth reduced down to its finished product.
The end product was very good. It is a recipe that will be repeated. Maybe a couple of times a month…
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 