good lordy, do i love tex-mex.
and i am positive it’s not because i’m from texas.
it is only because it’s AWESOME.

my ever-so-thoughtful little brother came across this a while ago and sent it my way… boy, does he know me well. the original recipe is by the lovely lisa fain, author of the homesick texan blog, a blog that i love & you should go check out.

i have always been a fan of sloppy joes and when i contemplated this delicious epiphany she’d had in making them with a texas twist… MY MIND = BLOWN.
these babies are amazing.

tex-mex sloppy joes
adapted from the homesick texan
(serves 4-6)

ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/8 tsp (scant) ground chipotle chile powder

1/2 medium yellow or white onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper (seeds & stem removed), diced

3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp jarred)

15 oz can tomato sauce

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp allspice

pinch of cayenne

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

6 oz (half a bottle) mexican lager (i use dos equis amber)

2 tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup cilantro, divided

juice from 1/2 a lime

salt & black pepper to taste

4-6 warm buns for serving

guacamole, cilantro, jarred/sliced jalapenos, cotija cheese for serving

directions

1. in a large skillet, cook the meat until almost completely browned, about 5-7 minutes. add the onions and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

2. add in tomato sauce, chipotle chile powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, allspice, cayenne & worcestershire sauce – mix well. add the beer, ketchup and 1/2 the cilantro. stir until well combined.

3. cook on medium-low heat uncovered for 15-20 minutes and then stir in half of the remaining cilantro and the lime juice. add salt & pepper to taste.

4. on each plate, lay bun halves open-face and slather (yes, slather) each slice with guacamole (this way makes sandwiches, or you can make them open faced – this is how i like them – with just one bun half). top with the sloppy joe mixture, cheese, jalapeno slices, and cilantro.

enjoy!

photo via the homesick texan blog