Dinner was good

I have had this recipe for "Asian Inspired Sloppy Joe" for years and years. It was from a usenet group rec.food.recipes. Judy Bolton (someone I don't know) posted it and I am not sure where she got it from. It always sounded good to me and so I kept the recipe. So off the grocery store I went to get the ingredients. As I was standing in line the woman behind me looked at what I was buying and said "You like to cook, don't you?" I said that I certainly did and then realized she was basing this on the fact that I was buying a piece of lemongrass (which was the ONLY piece of lemongrass in the store) and goat cheese. Hmmm.


Here ya go:

Asian Inspired Sloppy Joe
Serves 4

8 oz lean ground beef (or any meat you would like)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 small cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 to 1-1/2 tbl chopped fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed of the tough outer leaves, about 3 inches of edible inner core, thinly sliced
3 to 5 closes garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
kosher salt to taste
pinch of cumin
pinch of coriander
to 2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbl hoisin sauce
a drizzle of toasted sesame oil
4 hamburger buns
4 tbl chopped cilantro
3 green onions
Hot sauce such as Sriracha

In a heavy pan or wok, brown the beef with the onion, using a little vegetable oil if needed; add the cabbage and cook together, letting the meat brown in spots and the cabbage wilt. Stir in the ginger, lemongrass and garlic, and continue to cook. When mixture is browned and cooked through, sprinkle in sugar, soy sauce, salt, cumin, coriander and chiles. Then stir in the hoisin sauce and drizzle with sesame oil. Spoon the meat and cabbage mixture on the bottom half of each bun. Generously top with cilantro and green onions. Replace bun tops and serve with Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste.

We ate these open faced because it would be too messy otherwise.

Hope you like it.