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South Orange, NJ has a unique take on a sloppy joe sandwich. Layers of meat, cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing and thinly sliced bread make it a delicious classic.
A sloppy joe was a special treat when I was a kid. I remember watching Manwich commercials and trying to convince my mom to make them for dinner. It was basically the equivalent of Hamburger Helper, but to me it sounded so different from our usual home cooked meals. We would normally have homemade sauce and pasta, baked chicken or beef stew for dinner…but of course I wanted what I perceived the rest of America was eating. It’s like wanting McDonald’s instead of a juicy burger off the backyard barbecue…it doesn’t make sense, but we become conditioned to crave what we see in those commercials.
Similarly, when I received a two-story dollhouse for my Barbies that my dad labored over for weeks, I remember longing for that pink plastic house where my girlfriend’s Barbies resided. As an adult, I can’t even imagine that I would choose a Manwich over roast chicken or a flimsy plastic structure over the special and meticulously crafted house that my dad built for me, but I realize it was really more about fitting in than anything else.
To me, sloppy joes have always symbolized Americana and comfort food. Not fancy, not fussy, but always tasty and a little indulgent…ground beef in a slightly sweet tomato sauce spooned into a soft white roll. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that a sloppy joe was something else entirely when we moved from Manhattan to New Jersey.
The sloppy joe sandwich is a culinary staple in Maplewood and South Orange, NJ. It was created back in the 1930’s at Town Hall Deli. The owner of the deli traveled to Cuba where he visited Sloppy Joe’s Bar and enjoyed a sandwich piled high with meat, cheese, coleslaw and dressing. He enjoyed it so much that he recreated it back home and the rest, as they say, is history.
This sandwich appears simple…cold cuts and cheese, but in fact, an authentic sloppy joe needs to be prepared in a very specific way.
First, and perhaps most importantly is the bread. We begin with crustless, very thin slices of Pullman rye. You can substitute white or wheat, but I really think rye makes the most tasty sandwich. You can choose your favorite combination of cold cuts, but my preferences are turkey/corned beef or roast beef/ham. After your first layer of cold cuts comes a healthy dollop of coleslaw (not too wet…we don’t want a soggy sandwich), then a smear of Russian dressing and a couple slices of Swiss cheese. Follow that with another slice of bread, another round of cold cuts, slaw, dressing, cheese and bread. Now this is a sandwich that’s meant to be shared. These slices of rye? Well grab yourself a loaf of bread, removed the crusts and slice it super thin, horizontally, not vertically. Think a family sandwich, not lunch for one.
My version differs slightly from Town Hall Deli in that I’ve made my own coleslaw and Russian dressing. My slaw is creamy, but with a little bite from the vinegar and tang from the sour cream. And the dressing has just a touch of heat from the chili paste and horseradish. But other than that, there’s no need to mess with a classic.
This is no Manwich and certainly not the sloppy joe of my youth, but like that dollhouse my dad built, it’s well-crafted, unique and will stand the test of time. And it’s one more reason that I’m proud to call South Orange home.
- Coleslaw
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp celery seeds
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 14 oz shredded cabbage and carrots bagged coleslaw mix
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- Russian Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp sambal oelek chili paste
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- dash of freshly ground black pepper
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- 1 loaf pullman rye bread 1 lb
- 1 lb corned beef or roast beef thinly sliced
- 1 lb turkey or ham thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb Swiss cheese thinly sliced
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Coleslaw: Whisk together everything except the cabbage mixture. Fold in the cabbage mixture and let stand for at least 30 mins for the flavors to meld.
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Drain any liquid off before making the sandwiches.
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Russian Dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together until combined.
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Sandwiches: Remove the crusts from the loaf of bread and cut into a rectangle block.
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Very thinly slice (1/4 inch) the bread horizontally.
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Lay down one long slice of bread and layer with 1/3 of the corned beed or roast beef.
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Dollop on some coleslaw and spread over meat.
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Spread some Russian dressing over the slaw and lay a couple slices of Swiss on top.
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Place a slice of bread on top and repeat with the turkey or ham, slaw, dressing and cheese.
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Top with another slice of bread and cut into rectangles or squares to serve.
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You can vary the ratio or meat/slaw/dressing/cheese to taste.
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
This looks so delicious and reminds me of my all time favorite Rueben. I love that your dad made you a homemade barbie house. I had the barbie townhouse and it was my all-time favorite gift. Now my daughter has one in her room and I won’t let her get rid of it. She’s turning 12 soon and asks me every day! Love your video!
Cathy says
I’ll take that house if she doesn’t want it! I always dreamed of one of my own!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
OMGee Cathy! This sandwich sounds amazing! And your photos are killing me!! I’m wishing I could grab that sandwich right off my screen!
Cathy says
Thanks Mary Ann! Are these sloppy joes on your Jersey radar?
Bea says
We’re not a red meat-eating family, so we do turkey and swiss joes. I also make it with standard rye. Still delish, and way easier. 🙂
Cathy says
Sounds delish! The corned beef/turkey combo is the big winner in our house.
Cindy says
This looks incredible. I love the layered sandwich and the slaw looks amazing… you had me at tang and vinegar. Yummy!
Cathy says
Thanks Cindy! I’m all about the tang too!
Adam J. Holland says
Gorgeous. I used to eat these at a deli in Toms River back in the day. They are addictive.
Cathy says
Sooooo addictive Adam! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
marlene Sude says
born and raised in Newark, NJ..grew up on sloppy joes enjoying every bite…I make them for all my Floridian friends and they just love them… Make sure you purchase the Corn Beef from a good deli. makes a difference. Enjoy
Cathy says
Agreed! The best cold cuts make all the difference!
suzanne styring says
hi in the 80’s I used to work at Morristown memorial we drove to denville georges broadway deli to pick up the famous sloppy joe thin rye bread 5 layers roast beef turkey swiss cheese coleslaw dressining topped off with a pickle or olive in the toothpick awesome sandwich fond memories
Cathy Roma says
Nothing better!! All about that thinly sliced bread.
sandy says
Sloppy joes wrapped in wax paper, don’t forget the pickle!
Richard Kalb says
Wait a minute! A “smear” of Russian dressing? A “smear?” Anything else you say about deli food is automatically discounted as amateurish. A true deli gourmet would know that what you’re talking about is a “schmear.” Although the schmear is more commonly associated with cream cheese on a bagel, I would argue that the term is more than appropriate with the spreading of any deli staple, e.g., Russian dressing. And as an aside, I recently received a gift of the Town Hall Deli’s Sloppy Joe (via Goldbelly), a lovely and generous gesture from my sister. What an incredible rip off, both from the bang for the buck and quality of the sandwiches themselves. I regularly make my own version of the sloppy Joe (I grew up in Jersey regularly savoring the Sloppy Joe in northern N.J. on various holidays, shivas, etc.),and I must say – my version of the S.J. is vastly superior. If what I received is supposed to be the apex of N.J. deli, what a sad state of affairs!
Cathy Roma says
Sorry you didn’t enjoy your sister’s thoughtful gift. Guess you’ll keep making your own as they seem better suited to your tastes.
Joann says
Born and raised in New Jersey. Thank you for posting this sandwich for all to enjoy. I do love a good deli Sloppy Joe.
Bonnie says
I grew up with this. It is the best, best, best sandwich! Did I say best? Oh yeah!!
Cathy Roma says
Oh you said it. But worth saying it twice, no three times!!!!
Andrew says
Couldn’t find bagged coleslaw mix so I used broccoli slaw instead. Used ham instead of corned beef. Delicious.
Andrew says
My bad, I forgot to rate the recipe.
Cathy Roma says
No prob! Thanks for taking the time to review!
Fred Fraenkel says
Town Hall Sloppy Joes are available from the original deli in South Orange on Goldbelly. Town Hall makes and ships them to you carefully and they arrive perfect!