Best Copycat Original Sloppy Joes Key West Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was the original sloppy Joe made with? ›

Some attribute the original Sloppy Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, where, many years ago, in 1930 a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Voila: a new between-the-bread offering, and the sandwich's official name.

A Tradition - Sloppy Joe's Bar

This iconic Key West bar's claim to fame was its famous patron, Ernest Hemingway, who frequented the saloon for some Scotch and good conversation on rest from travel. There have been years of controversy pertaining to accurate history and credit for being Hemingway's number one bar.

At Sloppy Joe's, tipping is a tradition. A good tip gets a ring of the bell dangling on a long rope above the bar.

What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? It's made with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, garlic, dry mustard, and a little Tobasco (if you want). That sauce coats the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to make the filling.

If you're aiming to eat a lower-fat diet, then consider fixing yourself a sloppy jane. This variant on the sloppy joe swaps out regular ground beef for leaner beef. It also places a higher focus on vegetables and other low-calorie ingredients.

Many believe the Sloppy Joe is the namesake of a Sioux City, Iowa cook, who in 1930, combined the regionally popular loose meat sandwich with tomato sauce. It's less messy predecessor, the loose meat sandwich is a Midwestern favorite of steamed or sauteed ground beef, onions, mustard and pickles.

It was September 8, 1978 when late Sidney Snelgrove and the late Jim Mayer became owners of the world-famous watering hole “Sloppy Joe's Bar.” The Snelgrove and Mayer families have kept the party going at the corner of Duval and Greene since then.

Rum Runner

Some quick thinking and flicks of the wrist had him pouring the remnants of almost-empty bottles into one glass. He struck liquid gold when he mixed the ingredients below into one shaker to create (most absolutely) “THE” drink of the Florida Keys.

"We talked about Geronimo, pirates, the bar being haunted, Shel Silverstein, Hunter Thompson," said Faber, who has owned the bar since purchasing it from Tony Tarracino, the Captain Tony, in 1988.

THE CHART ROOM BAR

Jimmy saw the freebie and the bar's ambiance as omens of great things to come. Jimmy began his tropical career playing for drinks in the The Chart Room for treasure divers, pot smugglers, beachcombers, politicians and friends.

What does conch mean in Key West? ›

What is a Key West Conch? When people speak of the Key West Conch, they may be referring to the large sea snail that lives in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico surrounding the Florida Keys. But most often the term refers to Key West natives—the first settlers and the long-time residents of Key West.

Key West Roosters descend from roosters bred in Cuba and the Keys for fighting. For many years a winning fight rooster would be a source of income and, of course, bragging rights. co*ckfights are no longer legal in the United States; because of this, a lot of chickens were released and left to their own on the Island.

Try serving your sloppy joes with their own toppings such as slaw, melty cheese, grilled pineapple, or Hatch green chile. Even just adding a pickle gives extra flavor and crunch, transforming it from a bland sandwich into something great, like the recipe below!

What is the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joes? Sloppy Joes are the sandwich, while Manwich is the store-bought canned sloppy joe sauce, produced by ConAgra Foods and Hunt's.

Ground beef is the traditional meat for this recipe. Choose more lean meat for less fat during cooking, I use 92% lean when making these. Ground pork is a unique addition to a Sloppy Joe recipe.

TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, SUGAR, CARROT FIBER, DRIED GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS, CHILI PEPPER, GUAR GUM, SPICES, XANTHAN GUM, DRIED GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID.

Marilyn Brown, director of the consumer test kitchen at H.J. Heinz in Pittsburgh, says their research at the Carnegie Library suggests that the sloppy joe's origins lie with the "loose meat sandwiches" sold in Sioux City, Iowa, in the 1930s and were the creation of a cook named Joe.

Manwich, a portmanteau of man and sandwich, is the brand name of a canned sloppy joe sauce produced by ConAgra Foods and Hunt's, introduced in 1969. The can contains seasoned tomato sauce that is added to ground beef cooked in a skillet.