The Sloppy Lo Recipes

THE BEST SLOPPY JOES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelize in some spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it is browned, no longer pink in the middle and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, red wine vinegar, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Spoon the meat onto the toasted buns.

LO MAI FAN

Steps:

• Wash the rice in a medium bowl 3 times to remove any dirt or dust. Add the rice back to the bowl, cover with enough cold water to come 2 to 3 inches above the surface of the rice and soak for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Soak the mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups warm water in a medium bowl until softened, about 45 minutes.
• Soak the dried shrimp in a small bowl with enough warm water to cover until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the shrimp and set aside.
• Fill a large pot or wok that fits an 8- to 10-inch steamer basket with water (the water shouldn't touch the bottom of the steamer) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Line an 8- to 10-inch steamer basket with 2 layers of damp cheesecloth or a damp lint-free towel. Drain the rice, spread it in an even layer in the prepared basket and poke a few holes halfway through the layer. Insert the basket in the steamer, cover and steam until the rice is translucent and tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and remove from the heat to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, squeeze the water from the mushrooms and remove and discard the stems. Roughly chop the caps and transfer to a small bowl with the reserved shrimp. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the mushroom-soaking liquid into another small bowl and discard the remaining soaking liquid.
• Mix the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid until the sugar and salt are dissolved; set aside.
• Add the peanuts, oil and scallion whites to a wok or large nonstick pan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the peanuts darken slightly and the scallions have slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook until it releases some oils, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shrimp and cook until heated, about 2 minutes.
• Swirl in the wine around the hot sides of the wok or pan and stir until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the rice and gently break up the clumps with the back of a wok turner or a spatula. Re-mix the seasoning sauce in the small bowl, then pour most of the sauce over the rice, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind. Cook, stirring and breaking up the rice clumps, until the seasonings are mixed into the rice. If there are parts of the rice that without seasoning, pour the reserved sauce directly over that rice. Mix in the scallion greens and cilantro.
• Divide the sticky rice among 4 small plates. Alternatively, transfer the sticky rice to small bowls and firmly press on the rice mixture to mold to the shape of the bowl. Invert onto larger plates and remove the glass bowls.

SLOPPY JOES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, then fry the onion, pepper and garlic for 8-10 mins until softened. Add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go, and stir until it browns all over. Tip in the tomatoes and chipotle, or barbecue sauce, and add a little seasoning. Simmer for 10-15 mins until the sauce has thickened.
• Put the cheese slices on top of the mince and cover with a lid for 2 mins to let it melt into the sauce. Pile into the buns with the crispy onions, and lettuce on the side for scooping up the extra sauce.

HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES

Steps:

• Place ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook and stir the mixture constantly until the beef is browned and forms small crumbles, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and green bell pepper; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir, scraping the pan to dissolve any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Mix in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Add 1 more cup water and return mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, about 40 minutes.
• Season with salt , black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.