The Messy Giuseppe — Italian Sloppy Joe on the Griddle

I ate sloppy joes every single week in the 90s. This is what happens when you take that childhood memory and give it an Italian upgrade.

Say hello to the Messy Giuseppe. Destined straight for our stomachs — smash or pass?

What you need

• 1 lb shredded pork, cooked
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Hot cherry peppers, sliced
• Sweet roasted peppers, sliced
• 1½ cups homemade marinara — it's not Italian if it's not homemade
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Soft sandwich buns, split
• Garlic butter with fresh herbs
• Fresh basil leaves
• Grated cheese, for finishing
• Olive oil (“grazza”) for the griddle

Gear: Blackstone griddle, hot

The cook

1. Fire up the griddle and get it hot. Down goes a little olive oil.
2. Sauté the veg separately. Onions, hot cherry peppers, and sweet roasted peppers — get them going on their own zone until soft and a little charred.
3. Sear the pork. Get that shredded pork on the flat top and let it crisp up in the spots.
4. Combine. Bring the meat and the peppers together on the griddle.
5. Sauce it. Pour over the homemade marinara and work it through. Lay fresh mozzarella right on top of the mixture and let it melt in.
6. Butter the buns. Mix garlic butter with herbs, dip the split buns in it, and toast them on the griddle.
7. Assemble. Load the saucy, cheesy pork onto the buns. Top with fresh basil and a hit of grated cheese.

Close your eyes. Take a bite. Like nothing you've ever had before — this thing slaps.

Watch the cook: The Messy Giuseppe — full video