Chef John's sloppy joes

By avaspapa

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tblsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 dash worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the ground beef and onion in a cold skillet, place the skillet on the stove, and turn the heat to medium; cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and brown. Stir the garlic and bell pepper into the beef mixture; continue stirring and cooking until the vegetables are tender, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Mix in ketchup, brown sugar, dijon mustard, worcestershire, salt and pepper. Pour in 1 more cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until the mixture becomes thick, 30-45 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Season with cayenne.