Loose Meats Sink Ships

Oh 4th o' July. You sweet summertime songbird. Never failing to lure us in with your promise of grilled food products, hazardous explosives and really really slow-moving parades. This year is very exciting because the ol' 4th o' Jeezy falls on a Sunday, which means most of us get Monday off, which in turn means we can eat and drink as much as we want before, during and after those fireworks blow up in the faces of our respective showboating neighbors, and then still have a full day to recover. So what's on your July 4 menu? Rather than the usual dogs and burgers, might I suggest Loose Meat Sandwiches?

Hot d*mn that looks TASTY! I'm sure you're all familiar with Sloppy Joes, but did you know there's a whole family of Loose Meat Sandos? The difference with the Sloppy J is the ketchup is mixed in with the meat. A traditional Loose Meat Sandwich just features a heaping pile of unseasoned ground beef on a bun. Dress it up as you wish!

In the Middle West, they call this a Tavern Sandwich. The pile of pebbly beef is usually mixed with seasoned onions, then topped with veggies (i.e. pickles, mustard and ketchup).

History buffs should also note that prior to the birth of the Tavern Sandwich and its cousin Sloppy Joe, there was the Maid-Rite. The Maid-Rite is the first Loose Meat Sandwich in recorded history. It was the brainchild of an Iowa butcher named Fred Angell who, in 1926, opened the doors to a new quick-service restaurant in Muscatine called, you guessed it, Maid-Rite.

How do I know all of this? Wikipedia.

Happy 4th errrybody!