Iowa Loose Meat Sandwiches | Cooking the States

Loose meat sandwich might not sound the most appetizing, but if you’re judging by taste it ranks amongst the highest. One thing Iowans will tell you is that this is no Sloppy Joe, no sir, a Lose Meat Sandwich is a savory, spice-laced, scoop of ground beef topped with fixins’ and a classic American burger bun. On the other hand, sloppy joe is made with a sweet, tomato-based sauce. Shoutout to Maid Rite, the restaurant chain responsible for popularizing the sandwich and whipping them up since the 1920s! Let’s cook. 🤘🏻Adam

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The Legendary Loose Meat Sandwich aka The "Maid Rite"

Ingredients

Loose Meat Sandwich

• 1 pound 80/20 "Fatty" Ground Beef
• 1 pound 90/10 "Lean" Ground Beef
• ½ Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp Mustard Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp MSG
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Beef Stock
• Yellow Mustard, for serving
• Dill Pickle, sliced for serving
• Onion, chopped for serving
• American Cheese, for serving

Sesame Seed Buns (makes 8 buns)

• 1 cup Whole Milk, 105F (250g)
• 2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast (7g)
• 3 Tbsp Sugar (40g)
• 1 Egg
• 3 1/2 cups Bread Flour (440g)
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (5.5g)
• 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cubed
• 3 egg yolks, for egg wash
• Splash of water, for egg wash
• Sesame Seeds, optional

Instructions

Loose Meat Sandwich

1. Bring a large dutch oven to high heat. Form the ground beef into patties, season with salt and sear until browned on both sides. Do this in batches then remove the patties and set them aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add in the onion and garlic, sweat for 2-3 minutes then add the mustard powder, paprika, MSG, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze with the beef stock, scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pot the pour in the Worcestershire sauce. Continue to simmer until the ground beef has absorbed all of the stock and there is little liquid in the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Spread yellow mustard on a sesame seed bun, lay down a slice of American cheese, scoop on a cup of the loose meat mixture, then top with chopped onions, dill pickle slices and CRUSH!

Sesame Seed Buns

1. Add yeast, sugar and water to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it activate for 5 minutes. Once bubbly, add the milk, egg, and flour on top. Attach the dough hook and knead until the dough is smooth and semi-sticky, about 4 minutes.
2. With the machine running, begin dropping in the butter little by little, waiting to add more until each piece is fully incorporated into the dough. Once the butter is fully worked in add the salt and process until it's worked in and the dough passes the window test. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a smooth ball. Line a mixing bowl with oil, plop the smooth dough ball inside, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled or nearly doubled in size.
3. Line a sheet tray with a Sil-pat mat or parchment paper. Gently turn the dough out back onto the lightly floured surface and portion the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into disc shaped pieces and arrange on the baking sheet. Mix the egg yolks and water then lightly brush each bun with egg wash. Let the buns rest uncovered for another hour, or until the buns are noticeably larger and puffy.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Brush on a second layer of egg wash then sprinkle over some sesame seeds. Bake the buns for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Remove them from the oven then let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. The burger buns will keep in a plastic bag for 3-4 days, or in a tightly sealed bag in the freezer for 3 months. Do not refrigerate the buns short term or they’ll dry out quickly.

Adam's Notes

• A Maid Rite is NOT a Sloppy Joe. Sloppy Joe sandwiches are made with ground meat that's been tossed in a sweet tomato-based sauce.

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