This evening I had a loose meat sandwich for dinner.

When I talk about loose meat sandwiches here in California, no one knows what I am talking about. However, if you are from Iowa you definitely know.

You may have also heard of loose meat sandwiches from the TV show Roseanne.

My loose meat sandwich is perhaps spiced a little more than the traditional Iowa loose meat sandwich, however it is definitely in the same spirit. I start by browning a pound of hamburger while adding in a few spices for flavor. I also add miso which helps the meat break down a bit more and also adds to the complexity of the flavor.

Once the hamburger is browned it is then time for steaming. I add about 1/3 cup of water into the iron skillet and let the hamburger cook until the water is all cooked off. The end result is a nice crumble of hamburger.

The next step is to put ketchup on the buns. I like to have a good coat of ketchup on both sides so that the loose meat stays inside a bit better.

If you don’t have buns, two slices of Home Pride bread work just as well 🙂

Then it is time to pile on the loose meat. You can keep it to a manageable thickness so that it is held in place by the top bun or stack it high and wrap the sandwich in wax paper to catch what falls.

The sandwich is now ready to eat.

Of course the sandwich was delicious.  The taste of course brought back memories of growing up in Iowa and eating loose meat sandwiches. Real comfort food 🙂

My dinner also brought back memories of eating loose meat sandwiches at the Canteen in Ottumwa, Iowa.

The Canteen looks a bit different today as a parking garage was built over it in the early 2000’s.

Tonight’s dinner also brought back memories of my Grandfather who used to eat lunch at the canteen when he worked at Lowenberg Bakery in Ottumwa.

Hmm, my mind is wandering to other memories, but I will save them for later posts.

Have you ever eaten a loose meat sandwich?

Steven