Chef John's Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds extra lean ground beef
• ½ onion , diced
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 green bell pepper , diced
• 1 cup water
• 0.75 cups ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons salt , or to taste
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper , or to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine the ground beef and onion in a cold skillet, place the skillet onto a stove burner, and turn the heat to medium; cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and browned. Stir the garlic and bell pepper into the beef mixture; continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 more minutes. Add 1 cup of water. Mix in ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Pour in 1 more cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until the mixture becomes very thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Season with cayenne.