Name: Italian sloppy Joes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 40 ml olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra halved; 500 gm coarsely minced beef; 350 ml tomato passata; 250 ml beef stock (1 cup); 2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano; 2 tsp dark brown sugar; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 4-6 large bread rolls, halved; 2 buffalo mozzarella balls (125gm each), thinly sliced; Sliced pickled chillies and large rocket leaves, to serve

The classic sloppy Joe is essentially mince on toast in sandwich form. Here, with the addition of mozzarella and pickles, we’ve gone for more of a sloppy Giuseppe.

Ingredients

40 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra halved

500 gm coarsely minced beef

350 ml tomato passata

250 ml beef stock (1 cup)

2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano

2 tsp dark brown sugar

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

4-6 large bread rolls, halved

2 buffalo mozzarella balls (125gm each), thinly sliced

Sliced pickled chillies and large rocket leaves, to serve

Method

Main

1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add onion and chopped garlic and sauté until golden (2-3 minutes). Add beef and brown well, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon (2-3 minutes). Add passata, stock, oregano, sugar, chilli flakes and fennel seeds, season to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and well flavoured (8-10 minutes). Stir in vinegar and season to taste.

2.Meanwhile, preheat grill to high and toast rolls cut sides up on an oven tray (1-2 minutes). Rub the top halves with cut sides of halved garlic. Top the bases with mozzarella slices and grill until melted (1-2 minutes). Spoon meat over melted cheese, top with pickles and rocket, sandwich with tops and serve.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

Instagram

Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

Main

Related stories