{I remember the first time that I heard my husband say “pass me a kipsy” and I was opened up to the world of “Minshallisms.” Getting used to alternative words or phrases that many times have no logical connection to the item in question, takes some time. 10 years later, I am pretty well versed and can automatically pass my husband a paper towel when he asks for said “kipsy.”

Unlike “kipsy” or “psychic” (a banana), “Untidy Yosephs” was at least recognizable and came with a chuckle. I could completely picture the 3 Minshall boys horsing around at the dinner table as they inhaled the simple yet delicious ground beef-based concoction. Despite the imagery that I can picture, I realized that the basic background of the recipe should indeed come from Rob himself. So, without further ado…… }

Untidy Yosephs on a poppyseed sandwich roll

For some strange reason, probably one that has to do with growing up in a household as the youngest of three boys, my brothers and I adopted a sort of language of our own. That way, we could speak our Minshallisms in front of our parents, and they would be clueless as to our conversational meanings, and we had great fun with the idea that we thought we were getting away with something. Truth is, we were, most assuredly, getting away with all manner of things. It was a never-ending litany of escapades within which were nested our Minshallisms.

Untidy Yosephs, is, of course, a bastardization of Sloppy Joes and the term has nested itself within our psyches ever since it was born from our own private lingo. As for the recipe itself, it was a recipe that I picked up from watching my Mom make Yosephs from a very early age. Being the youngest, I somehow ended up being the “Mama’s Boy.” While that terminology certainly can have its negative connotations, my experience was not. It meant I spent some time in the kitchen, not only instilling my love for cooking and the creation of yummy tasting concoctions but also coming to realize that, having knowledge of my way around the kitchen would have infinite advantages to myself as the years would pass by.

Anyway, back to the recipe, it came from my maternal Great-Grandmother. It was essentially a recipe that tended to differ each time it was made as none of the ingredients were ever actually measured out. The delicious epitome of “a little of this, a little of that.” Admittedly, it was odd having to actually take the time to measure things out and jot down the recipe. Whilst the ingredients did vary a bit, there were some constants, including one that was non-negotiable, NO PEPPERS! Heck, the recipe relies on some other premade ingredients so it hinges on the absence of bell peppers or you might as well crack open a can of “Manwich.” Actually, that is a bit harsh, I don’t have a crusade against bell peppers and many people love them in their Sloppy Joes, it’s just that their absence sets this recipe apart from the rest. Also, Manwich doesn’t have actual bell pepper in its ingredients. The flavor profile comes in the form of “natural flavors” which is usually translated in copycat recipes to include said bell peppers. While I am off on a tangent I’ll mention that the ingredients in this recipe, sans ground beef, can be added to basic canned baked beans and morph them into a very pleasing addition to the palate. Give it a try, if you have a chance!

If one were to wish for a little heat to the dish, aka spiciness, simply add some cayenne, chipotle, or red pepper flakes, to taste, to give it that little kick. The best thing about this recipe, as with most any meat or dish containing some layered ingredients, is it tastes better each day after. I often make a large batch, knowing full well, that I’ll eat it heated up each day until it’s polished off.

During this process of trying to quantify a culinary memory, I thought of my Mom in the kitchen as I towered over her 5’6” slight frame and her own quirks that I for one, would never question. She was insistent that the onions and ground beef be cooked together before adding the other ingredients, something I dutifully followed for many years. However, the time came to start experimenting, something every eager home cook should do, and I realized that I preferred the flavor profile that…..gasp….didn’t follow her method. I wonder what she would think of those changes since as you’ll see below, I changed it quite a bit. Actually, as I think about it, I think Mom would love the changes and be proud that her son learned from her, but grew.

Well, there you have it. There are plenty more stories about Minshallisms and certainly more to this Contractor Cook’s tale, but, you’ll just have to keep on reading to find them out. Take Care and God Bless ~Rob

Untidy Yosephs aka Sloppy Joes

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Untidy Yoseph's aka Sloppy Joes

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