Loose Meat Sandwich (Midwestern--particularly Iowa)

After a few weekends of tearfully sending my other half to trips to watch football games across the country, I started my long season of work and fun travel this past weekend.  Between now and early December, life will take me to Dublin and Belfast, Albuquerque, and San Francisco.  The first stop on my world tour was a visit to Iowa City, Iowa.  Coming from a red state, it was amazing to meet so many people who understand that being rich doesn't start with making $5,000,000 per year and who have boldly decided to change the color of their state and possibly the color of the U.S. presidency.  I felt so at home among the flat green landscape dotted with yellow wildflowers and accented with blue Obama-Biden signs. I stayed at a lovely B and B with the yummiest stuffed French toast ever, and the innkeepers were the loveliest people in the world. And, I got to enjoy a nice, 'slow food' meal on a working farm in nearby Wellman, Iowa.  I was in leftist, elitist, academic liberal bliss.  Local businesses, midwestern Democrats, and organic foods!  Pinch me, I'm in heaven...or Iowa.

As one of the nation's top producers of pork, Iowans enjoy a hearty meat now and again. Although pork tenderloin sandwiches are a regional specialty, I'm a bigger fan of the loose meat sandwich.  No other sandwich name describes the beauty of its personality as well as the loose meat treat.  Loose meat sandwiches are like a sloppy joe without that too sweet tomato sauce.  I have been known to eat a sloppy joe now and again, but with so much sugar in our canned tomato sauces these days (thanks a lot high fructose corn syrup), I prefer the savory broth that meat naturally provides.  Loose meat sandwiches are easy to make; the only real challenge is getting the meat loosened up enough.  Your best bet is to use the back of a wooden spoon to get the ground meat into teeny-tiny pieces.  At loose meat restaurants, the sandwich meat is usually cooked, lightly salted and according to rumor seasoned with a bit of Pepsi, and kept warm on a steamer.  The sandwich is also served on a steamed bun with cheese and a dill pickle, and plated with a fork to catch any part of the sandwich that may come loose.  

You can easily make your own version of a healthier loose meat sandwich with my favorite staples: ground white meat of turkey, low-sodium beef broth and whole wheat buns.  Instead of cheese add some creamy avocado and white bean spread (mashed avocado, white beans, olive oil, salt and pepper) to create a tangy flavor.  You can spice up your meat with a few basil leaves or a bit of rosemary to complement the turkey's natural flavors.  

Ahh....now that I'm settled back home, it's back out into the big, bad world.  Next stop: Belfast. I'll keep you posted!

Happy Eating!