I hadn’t heard that Pennsylvania ha a recognizes, distinctive BBQ tradition until I read the source post for today’s recipe. Rather than a dish that’s seared on the grill, the New England favourite is more like a Sloppy Joe, or Chili-Dog topping…
What’s in a name?
Culinary purists would rightly classify this dish as a ‘lose meat sandwich’. I’m good with that. But it’s a true Pennsyl-vania Dutch/German classic that comes from the roots of the region’s culture, independent of any outside influences…
Unique flavour
The flavour of this BBQ is unique in my experience. I love it. But keep in mind, I’m a total pushover for anything Sweet & Sour…
Couldn’t be easier…
This quick, easy-peasy recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare. And it calls for only 8 ingredients – including the salt & pepper and the buns!
All you need to make it is probably right there, in your pantry and freezer:
-
- 1 pound / 450 g ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ cup / 90 ml ketchup
- 1 ½ tablespoons / 22.5 ml vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons / 22.5 ml brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons / 7.5 ml prepared yellow mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 Hamburger-style buns of your choice
Secret’s in the sauce…
But the real secret to this super-streamlined BBQ’s appeal is the sauce. So simple, yet so scrumpt-ious! The recipe is an exquisite illustration of the Pennsylvania Dutch cultural philosophy of elegant, economical simplicity.
You’ll find the key flavours of this recipe among the more-complex ingredient lists of many other, more-famous BBQ traditions. But together, here in one pot, with no other ‘distractions’, they rep-resent the very essence of classic American BBQ.
You could use this foundational formula to build your own, personal, more-complex Sauce…
What you do
Just scramble the ground beef with the onions until the meat is cooked through and onions are transparent.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. And simmer for about 15 minutes.
Spoon onto the buns and enjoy!
My take
I think everyone should make this dish at least once, to pay homage to the legendary concept of American BBQ.
And I reiterate my suggestion, above, to use this classic formula as the jumping-off point for dev-eloping your own personal, unique BBQ sauce tradition!
~ Maggie J.