Her Imperial Majesty Junior and the Untidy Josephs

Her Imperial Majesty Junior is eight years old and is an expert in getting what she wants. Sometimes it starts as a suggestion. Other times, it's a complaint. The one constant is that it is constant. And in a moment of weakness or inattention, we give in.

Most of the time, it's another stuffed animal. She has so many I've lost count.

The latest though, came in the form of dinner, something near and dear to my heart. She wanted something she called an "Untidy Joseph". I agreed, not realizing that what she was really asking for was a Sloppy Joe.

Yeah, I know. I haven't had one in about 40 years either. I seem to remember they were a staple of Friday nights for a while, snarfing one down right before The Wild Wild West came on.

The simplest way would be to open a can of Manwich™. But what's the fun in that? No, the only way to make a really sloppy Sloppy Joe is more or less from scratch.

Ingredients:

• One large yellow onion, diced
  
• One red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 pound of ground beef – 90/10 will work. Anything with a higher fat content will require you to drain the rendered fat off
  
• ¼ cup brown sugar
  
• 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning (I know it's cheating but, hey, it's good)
• 1 tablespoon each red wine vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce

Technique:

• Sauté the veggies in a bit of olive oil until soft, about ten minutes or so.
  
• Add the ground beef and sauté until brown. If there is excessive render fat, this is the time to drain it off.
  
• Mix the sugar and steak seasoning mix, then add to the beef and veggie mixture.
  
• Next, add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar and cook until thickened and reduced.
  
• Served on toasted rolls.
  

Our results turned out pretty darn tasty and it did give me the opportunity to do some cooking with Das Kinder. Sloppy Joes – Untidy Joseph's if you will – are a great way to have a little kitchen interaction with your own little ones. And it's a good way to take a step, albeit a small one, into your own past.

I see that Netflix has the Wild Wild West. I think it's time to for Das Kinder to meet Jim and Artie. All while eating an Untidy Joseph.