Ingredients
- 1 – 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, if needed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more if needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh dry mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sumac, optional
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 dry chipotle peppers, ground, (if you can find them at your grocery store)
- 2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste (use compliant if doing Whole30)
- 1 – 14 oz. can tomatoes with liquid, (fire roasted if possible), pureed (use compliant if doing Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- A few dashes of hot sauce (use compliant if doing Whole30)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200F.
Prepare and measure all ingredients. Set aside.
Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the beef and if needed, 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Stirring occasionally, cook for 1 minute.
Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, and stirring to break up the meat, cook until meat is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, sumac, and Aleppo pepper, stirring to combine.
Add the vinegars and stir to combine well.
Add the tomato paste, pureed tomatoes, coconut aminos and optional hot sauce and stir to combine well.
Transfer to a slow cooker, Bain-marie, or keep in the Dutch oven and place into a larger pan with water and place in the oven. Cover and cook, stirring every ninety minutes, until done, about 6 hours.
Notes
- Make sure to replenish water in the pan when needed, if it evaporates. I like to try a bit along the way and decide when it tastes perfect. (We generally can’t wait much longer than 5 or 6 hours because anyone who comes within a mile of my kitchen or happens to call me on the phone that day is eager to eat it.) You may end up cooking between 4-6 hours, depending on your idea of the perfect Sloppy Joe. Add more sugar or vinegar as desired.
What is a baine-marie? Also known as a water bath or double boiler, a baine-marie is a piece of equipment used in cooking to heat food gently. A bain-marie is also used to melt ingredients for cooking.
