Sloppy Joes

1. 1Heat the oil in a wide frying pan and fry the mince hard, breaking it up, for 6–8 minutes until browned. Use a wide pan — a crowded one steams the meat grey.
2. 2Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 6 minutes until softened, then the garlic for another minute.
3. 3Stir in the tomato purée and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Frying the purée takes the tinny edge off it.
4. 4Add the passata, Worcestershire, mustard, sugar, vinegar and stock. Season and bring to a simmer.
5. 5Simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then. Keep going until a spoon dragged through the pan leaves a channel that fills back slowly. That is the texture — thick enough to sit on a bun, loose enough to still be sloppy.
6. 6Taste and adjust: more vinegar if it is flat, more sugar if it is sharp. The balance between sweet and sour is the whole character of the dish.
7. 7Toast the cut sides of the buns in a dry pan until golden. A toasted bun is the only defence the bread has, and an untoasted one will be soggy before the plate reaches the table.
8. 8Pile the mixture onto the bun bases and serve at once, with plenty of napkins.

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