LOOSEMEAT

LOOSEMEAT
1 pound ground chuck
2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion, chopped fine (2 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
Water, to cover
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional:
Low carb buns
Mustard
Sliced dill pickles

Brown the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and the onions. Break up the meat while cooking to get it as finely crumbled as you can with a potato masher; drain the grease. Add the mustard, vinegar, Splenda and just enough water to barely cover the meat. Simmer until all of the water has cooked off, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on buns with mustard and pickles, if desired (not included in the counts).

Makes 4 servings
Can be frozen

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 203 Calories; 13g Fat; 19g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 202 Calories; 13g Fat; 19g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb

This is supposed to be a clone of a famous Midwestern sandwich filling called loose meat or Maid-Rite. I've never had the real thing so I can't say if this is anything like it. After watching a show on Food Network about loose meat sandwiches, I really wanted to give them a try. I found this recipe on a cooking forum and the person swore that this was the best recipe. It was called Grandma Angie's Loosemeat Sandwich. I followed Angie's recipe almost exactly except to sub Splenda for the sugar. She claimed that 2 teaspons would not be too much salt, but I'm sorry to say that it was far too much.

I didn't care for this at all. It came out so salty that it was almost inedible and I didn't like the flavor. Without any tomato sauce like you get with sloppy joes, I thought that the vinegar and sweetener tasted odd. I was very surprised that it didn't taste good considering how simple the ingredients are. I think if I give loose meat another try, I will go with one of the more basic recipes that don't call for vinegar or sweetener in them. The bun in the photo is one of my Flax Sandwich Buns made without caraway seeds.

If anyone has an authentic loose meat recipe that they really like, please share it with me. I'd love to taste the real thing.

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