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Sweet and spicy sloppy joe and quick greens!
I am so happy to have access to a great Dairy Club, that also gives me the opportunity to purchase amazing pastured and organically raised grass fed meats. When we went to visit the Stoltzfus’ Amish farm, we got to see the animals living in the meadow and we know how well they are all treated throughout their lives. We are happy to be able to support this sustainable and healthy way of raising pasture animals.
During our visit, we were served an amazing sausage sandwich in barbeque sauce, so this weekend, I pulled out the recipe that we got a the farm and thought I would make it. I had purchased the fresh sausage and took a look at the recipe which was rather complex and took a long time to make. I couldn’t wait! I had a craving for something sweet and spicy, and I had always wanted to make a healthy alternative to the Manwich’s that my husband so clearly loved as a child!
While I craved a good Sloppy Joe, I sometimes find the sweetness overpowering, so I pondered on this and thought why not combine the sweet spiciness of the meat with some heavy greens? The combo was to die for and I actually served them heaped on a plate wihtout buns. Even my kids could not taste the bitterness of the greens! You can of course serve this on toasted buns, and you can also make it with ground beef, but the sausage added a complexity to it that was awesome!
Healthy Sloppy Joe and Quick Greens
1 Lb loose fresh pastured sausage, ground pork or ground beef (unspiced sausage is best)
4 Tbs bacon grease
1 Tsp thyme
1 Tbs garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper
Sea Salt to taste
1 Cup chicken broth divided as indicated in recipe
Sauce
1/4 Cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 Cup fermented ketchup or organic ketchup
1 Tbs organic coconut oil
1 Tsp garlic
1 Tsp celery seed
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbs. hot sauce of your choice ( I used El Yucatano Chipotle-this is optional)
1 Tsp. chili powder
Greens
4 Cups washed and dried mixed greens (kale, chard, collards, mustard). Cut into small pieces and remove hard stems.
1 Tsp. garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large cast iron skillet turned on medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. bacon grease until hot. Cook sausage on medium high heat, breaking up into small crumbles and adding in the thyme and garlic powder when the pork is almost done and showing no pink. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining bacon grease and turn the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, throw in the greens and press them down well into the grease, tossing them until they are all wilted. Add in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, garlic and very little salt and some ground pepper (the sausage can be salty, so I used very little additional salt). Bring the greens to a high simmer and stir occassionally until tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Deglaze the pan with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken stock then add back in the pork and bring to a simmer on medium or medium to high heat. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce then pour over the simmering meat. Stir well to coat with the sauce and allow the meat to simmer until the sauce is bubbly or about 5 minutes. If the sauce dries out too fast, add in another 1/4 cup of chicken broth to keep the meat from sticking. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve immediately, layering the greens with the Sloppy Joe onto whole grain buns or serving the meat piled high on the greens. My kids and my husband adored this and I will be making it again very soon!
This recipe was a part of the Two for Tuesday Recipe Blog Hop-Volume 9, Tuesday Twister, Tailgating Time, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Tasty Tuesdays , so please visit the links and support other amazing real food bloggers. You can check out previous blog hops on the Blog Hop Page and other recipes at the Featured Blog Hop Recipes Page. Enjoy!
August 9th, 2010 on 11:37 pm
I would never have thought to serve sloppy joes on greens but now I can’t wait to try it! Oh and I so very much love that you used BACON grease! Greens just aren’t the same without it! Yummy!
August 9th, 2010 on 11:53 pm
Hi Alex – I found this on the Two for Tuesdays hop. This looks so great! I have been long overdue to prepare something different and interesting in our house. I’ve really gotten into a rut with all the stuff that’s always going on, I barely have time to even think about what I’m going to need for the ingredients. So here, you’ve done that for me, yay! Thanks for sharing a great idea, cause it looks so delicious!
August 10th, 2010 on 6:19 am
Sound delicious. I’ll try this very very soon.
August 10th, 2010 on 7:15 am
I love sloppy joes and this is a totally unique way to make them. Great recipe!
Twitter: apriljharris
August 10th, 2010 on 8:15 am
This does sound very, very good! I really like the flavours you have used, and the idea of using sausage as well.
Twitter: girlichef
August 10th, 2010 on 9:16 am
Oh my goodness Alex…what a genius idea!! Greens are absolutely my favorite veg…and I can almost taste the complimentary-contrast (if you will) of the sloppy joe flavors and the greens. You’ve definitely inspired me to do this next time I cook up some SJ’s!!! Delish entry for 24T!!!
August 10th, 2010 on 9:57 am
This looks stunning. I just love these easy to make recipes. Thanks for this.
Twitter: HungerThirst
August 10th, 2010 on 3:36 pm
I will never tire of seeing the word “healthy” associated with saturated fats. It makes my heart smile every time.
Nice pic, btw. Now I’m hungry.
August 10th, 2010 on 7:41 pm
Yay! Someone who cooks with bacon grease! Rock on! I love this, and also enjoyed looking at the alfredo recipe you posted as well. I’ve been looking for a good one, so will be trying these two out!
Twitter: suebuschnz
August 10th, 2010 on 9:37 pm
Alex, this looks great. Sloppy Joes are not something I’ve ever eaten – not traditional fare in New Zealand. You’ve really inspired me to try. I often get beautiful handmade organic sausages at my local farmers’ market and am always looking for new ideas for preparing them, so this definitely goes on the list. Thanks.
Sue xo
August 10th, 2010 on 10:51 pm
Well, if you like spicy and sweet together which is then cut by the deep flavor of the greens, then this is for you! In fact, if you DONT like greens this is for you because the typical bitterness is completely cancelled out by the meat! Glad you all liked it, and it is going in my permanent recipe box!
August 11th, 2010 on 8:36 am
Oh my Alex!! Now this is a version of sloppy joes I am going to have to make! So nourishing woman!! I’m seriously going to make this and don’t be surprised if it finds it’s way on my blog… giving you credit of course!
Twitter: Shirleygfe
August 11th, 2010 on 8:38 am
That looks incredibly good! I love Sloppy Joes … definitely will give your version a try soon. We always use ground venison for ours.
Shirley
September 16th, 2010 on 7:20 pm
This is really unique – I love it! Thanks so much for linking it up for the very first edition of Tailgating Times! I hope you’ll be back to join us this Sunday
October 21st, 2011 on 11:40 am
I have never tasted a sloppy joe before. Is that a texan food? I live in Asia, so you get the picture why i never tried it.
December 15th, 2011 on 7:09 am
A big thanks for the recipe you shared..it really helps me,thanks again!