Skip to main content

Tango Joes

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
  • 2 pounds lean ground sirloin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (about 3/4 palmful)
  • 6 sprigs oregano, leaves removed and roughly chopped
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves (a couple handfuls)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (3 splashes)
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 small can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
  • 4 Portuguese rolls, toasted

Directions

  1. Pre-heat a large sauté pan over high heat with three turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Cook the ground sirloin until browned, 7-8 minutes. Once the meat is brown, season it with salt and pepper.
  2. While the meat is browning, add the oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic and onion to a food processor and pulse the machine to finely chop everything. With the machine running, stream in the vinegar (eyeball it) and remaining 1/2 cup of EVOO. Season the herb sauce (in Argentina, this is called a chimichurri) with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add half of the chimichurri to the skillet with the meat, then mix to combine.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Add the sauce to the pan, then bring everything up to a bubble and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  4. To serve, spread the remaining half of the chimichurri on the toast bun tops and spoon the Tango Joe onto the bottoms. Replace the tops and enjoy!