Browning just half the meat builds browned, roasted flavors, while cooking the other half briefly keeps it tender.

Mixing ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar creates that tangy, sweet, deep flavor that defines classic sloppy Joes.

A cornstarch slurry thickens the tomato sauce so that it coats the ground beef perfectly.

Many years ago, as I sat cross-legged on the floor of my living room, I was introduced to one of the great American classics—the sloppy Joe—by way of the 1995 movie It Takes Two . Starring the Olsen twins and Kirstie Alley, it was *the* movie I begged my parents to rent each time we visited Blockbuster. Sure, the plot—a classic rom-com revolving around the twins trying to get their caregivers together—is charming. But as a child, what really intrigued me were the scenes of summer camp by a lake.…