Loose Meat Sandwiches

Our version with added bread and butter pickles, a side of homemade french fries and a cold beer.

I have to confess my ignorance here. I never heard of  Loose Meat Sandwiches until this election year during the current coverage of the political campaigning in Iowa prior to the Iowa Caucuses. Apparently Loose Meat Sandwiches are a Hawkeye State specialty. I heard them being talked about during a lighter side news coverage segment of the campaign this morning. Lisa and I decided to find out what the heck they were, how they differed from "tight meat" sandwiches and how we could make them in our very own test kitchen here in Georgia. 

We found out quickly that the founder of an Iowa based restaurant chain - Maid-Rite originated these sandwiches back in the 1920's and that they couldn't be easier to make. Not surprisingly, as their name implies, they are loose meat sandwiches, basically Sloppy Joes without the slop. Their flavor comes from a few key ingredients: a good grade of ground beef, onions, garlic powder (we used minced garlic), yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. We also used a little white vinegar.

Ingredients

1 lb ground chuck

1 medium onion, minced (reserve some for garnish)

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps. sugar

1 clove garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

6 hamburger buns

Sliced pickles

Instructions

Heat a large saute pan or skillet on medium heat.

Add onion and cook until translucent

Add ground beef and cook until browned

Mix in the other ingredients until well combined

Serve on toasted hamburger buns topped with minced onions and pickles and a side of fries. Have a fork handy because the loose meat is going to tumble out of the bun with every bite.