Snappy Joe, or Sucio Lucio?

I'm starting to like the Sucio Lucio

Snappy Joe, originally a recipe from mommie.  I LOVE the sandwiches, but yeah, the name of this easy-peas dish is the dumbest thing ever.  I’m sure it comes from a cutesy women’s magazine trying to cover up a fairly bland, “healthy” makeover of boring sloppy joes with a fancy new name, a snappy new name that looks great with the model’s stirrup pants, permed hair and caked-on blue eyeliner. SNAPPY.

Then again, I’m the one who made it the other night, so my sitting here making fun of it isn’t really helping my cause at all.  And sharing the fact that I spent 2 hours after dinner “crafting” homemade xmas cards doesn’t lend a lot of weight to the “I’m so cool” movement either. Cutting edge, I’m not, but at least I don’t have a perm.

Since A was supposed to be at a work event the night in question, I didn’t plan a dinner, figuring I could just eat leftovers or weird things I eat when nobody’s watching. (I’m not alone – check out these two books I really, really want to read.) 

With nothing planned, I went into safe mode, much like my archaic computer does when trying to run any program with a birthdate after 2007.  Spying a pound of sirloin and some random sausage buns in the freezer, and a recipe began to take shape.  Based on my mom’s “Snappy Joes,” a sillily named turkey and cabbage-based take on sloppy joes, I wanted to really snap these Joes up a bit.  Yeah, I’m going all out on this snappy theme. 

A few too many jalapenos in the fridge, some chorizo in the meat drawer, and an extra can of goya tomato sauce meant I was taking these Joes into spicy territory. (Somebody help me.  Why am I writing like this?)  I cut up a bunch of peppers, jalapenos, and onion, then sautéed them with ground sirloin.  AND I FORGOT THE CHORIZO.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.  Anyway, then you add in some tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and some shredded cabbage, and let it simmer away for 10 minutes.  DONE. 

Rachael Ray, who probably would LOVE the name Snappy Joe, did a running series once where she took Sloppy all around the world.  She made Messy Giuseppes (Italian), Sloppy Cubanos (with pickles and swiss), and a few other versions.  I tried a couple, being an avowed Sloppy Joe fan (comfort, messy, sandwiches).  

I like this one the best.  Should we name it -- a Sucio Lucio, perhaps?  It’s easy, quick, and sneaks in a bunch more veggies than you would think.  It’s also awesome cold the next day, scooped hastily onto crackers or corn chips.  Not like I’ve ever done that, or anything.  Sloppy told me.

Snappy Joes/Sucio Lucio

Makes 4-5 large sandwiches

½ cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped onion

1-2 chopped jalapenos

1 lb lean ground beef

2-4 oz chorizo (however much you want)

1 8 oz can Hispanic-style tomato sauce (for example, Goya or La Preferida)

½ cup bottled BBQ sauce (or homemade, if you’re awesome)

1 cup shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix

A few shakes hot sauce

Salt & Pepper

In a large saucepan or skillet, heat a small amount of oil or cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add onion and both peppers, and sauté until starting to soften, 3-4 minutes. 

Push the veggies to the side of the pan, and add ground beef and chorizo.  Cook, turning infrequently to encourage browning, until no pink remains and most of fat is rendered.  Carefully drain as much fat as possible from the pan.  (NOTE: I push the contents to the side and tilt the pan ever so slightly, then use a spoon to scoop out as much as possible.  A wad of paper towel can soak up the rest.  Or, you can brown the meat first, completely drain, and then just add the cooked meat after you cook the veggies.)

Add the tomato, BBQ, and hot sauces along with the cabbage to the pan; stir well.  (NOTE: You can add a few Tablespoons of water or stock at this point if it seems dry, but not too much.  The cabbage and veggies will release a fair bit of moisture.)

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes or until cabbage is soft.  Serve on split, toasted rolls (buttered if you’re bad).  Also good topped with cheese, pickled jalapenos, or tomatoes.