Watermelon Rind Sloppy Joes
Yields: 4-6 servings
 
Recipe from Southern from Scratch by Ashley English.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pint (2 cups) Pickled Watermelon Rind (recipe on page 84)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Freshly ground black pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Hamburger buns, lightly toasted
Instructions
  1. Warm a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef and brown for 6 to
  2. minutes, until cooked through. Remove pan from the heat. Place a mesh sieve or colander over a bowl. Pour in beef and drain off the juices. Discard juices.
  3. Return pan to stovetop and warm over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, and bell pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes, until vegetables are browned around the edges.
  4. Chop pickled watermelon rind into a fine relish-like consistency. Add watermelon, beef, ketchup, Worcestershire, and several grinds of pepper to the pan with vegetables. Stir to combine.
  5. Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce thickens a bit. Add salt to taste, a little bit at a time, until salty-sweet balance is right for you. Serve between hamburger buns.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP
Ashley also loves to chop Pickled Watermelon Rind into small pieces and scatter over a romaine and goat cheese salad or mince it, mix with mayonnaise, and spread onto a toasted Kaiser roll with roast beef for a sandwich.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/preserving-summer-ashley-english/