The other day, I was in a taqueria eating a sandwich stuffed with a spicy, saucy picadillo that was rich with tomatoes and chiles. It was delicious, but it was also a bit of a mess as the meat kept sliding out of the bun every time I took a bite. Finally, I gave up on using my hands and grabbed a knife and a fork. While I was tucking into the sandwich, it reminded me of something but I couldn’t figure it out. Then it occurred to me: this was a Tex-Mex sloppy Joe.
Ah, the sloppy Joe—that much loved sandwich often found at tailgates, school cafeterias, and the homes of busy families. Despite its popularity, it’s not a sandwich I indulge in very often, though when I was a kid mom used to make them for Saturday lunches. I asked her why we ate them every Saturday and she said because they were quick yet good.
And it’s true—they're are a snap to make, but their sweet and savory flavor belies their simplicity. Plus there’s also an adventure in every bite—will the meat stay in the bun or land in your shirt? This sandwich definitely lives up to its name.
That said, while the sandwich isn’t very neat, some say actually it was named after a Havana bar popular in the 1940s and not its less-than-tidy appearance. The bar was called Sloppy Joe's, and as the story goes, its cook took some leftover picadillo and tossed it with a spicy tomato sauce. He then placed the meat between in a bun and called it a Sloppy Joe in a nod to his employer.
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