'Messy' Meat for Sandwiches

I was trying to think of something new to shake up dinner, and I heard someone mention a certain ‘sloppy' sandwich. I had some ground pork on hand, and while I didn't have any tomato sauce, I did have some organic tomato paste. This recipe is a little bit spicy, so adjust the spices (esp. cayenne) to your family's taste.  I served this with a homemade focaccia bread, and the herbs and salt were the perfect balance to the spicy sweetness of the meat.

I usually serve this with Focaccia bread,
but the plate pictured has Syrian Onion Bread.

• 1-1½ lb lean ground pork or beef
• 8 oz tomato sauce or tomato paste (if using paste, add water to desired consistency) 
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 2 Tbsp organic balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried shallots (best ground into powder)
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp clove
• 1/8-¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Ancho chili powder
• ¼ tsp thyme
• salt & pepper to taste


Brown the meat in a pan, drain if there is a large amount of fat.
Mix tomato sauce or paste, and the rest of the ingredients and add to the meat
Simmer for approximately twenty minutes.
Serve with bread or your choice.