American Slop (Stew)

(by Vanessa Stirling)

a pound or so of ground beef

an onion if you have one; if not, chalk it up to experience

Dice the onion and begin sautéing it in oil. After a few minutes it’ll become translucent.

Add the ground beef, and as it cooks break it into smaller and smaller pieces. Cook until

fully browned.

Make a gravy. I prefer to use Bisto Beef Gravy Granules, but the English import can be

pricey. My mom did go through a Tony Chachere's Creole Mix phase, as Houston is after all the Bayou City. Stir into the mixture.

Add in any fresh or leftover vegetables or starches you have on hand.

What I sometimes pull from my fridge:

• leftover quinoa

• carrots from the weekend. Like mother, like daughter.

• celery that’s getting to the floppy stage

• some pork loin from last night

• failed homemade mac and cheese. I am informed it’s not as good as the blue box.

(Read American Slop, the story that accompanies this recipe.)