Loosemeat Sandwich

History

The loosemeat sandwich (also called a tavern sandwich or Maidrite) was created in 1924 by Fred Angell, who opened the first Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa. Unlike a Sloppy Joe, the beef is simply seasoned and crumbled — never bound in tomato sauce — and served in a steamed hamburger bun with mustard, pickles and onions. The sandwich became an institution across Iowa and the broader Midwest, immortalized nationally when Roseanne Barr's sitcom featured a loosemeat sandwich shop called the Lunch Box in the 1990s. Simple, unpretentious and quietly perfect, it remains a point of deep Midwestern pride.

Ingredients

• Steamed hamburger bun
• Ground beef (80/20)
• Yellow onion, finely diced
• Beef broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and black pepper
• Yellow mustard (for serving)
• Pickle slices (for serving)
• Optional: diced onion (for serving)

How to Make

1. 1Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into very fine crumbles — finer than a burger, not chunky.
2. 2Add diced onion and cook until softened.
3. 3Add a splash of beef broth and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.
4. 4Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is nearly absorbed but the meat is still moist — about 10 minutes.
5. 5Steam hamburger buns by placing them over the simmering meat with the lid on for 1–2 minutes.
6. 6Spoon meat generously into the bun — use a spoon, not a spatula, as the loose meat will fall.
7. 7Top with yellow mustard, pickles and raw onion.
8. 8Serve immediately (and accept that some will fall out — that's the deal).

Known for it

• Miles Inn2622 Leech Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106, USA