What does “spicy pork sausage” mean? (Sloppy Otto)

[Mosca]

It’s maddening, I tell you. Yahoo! served me up a little article about something called a Sloppy Otto, which I’ve never heard of but whatever… except that’s the kind of thing that I would have heard of. But okay, I’m listening.

I guess it’s a German American twist on a Sloppy Joe, and it uses spicy pork sausage mixed with green and yellow bell peppers, onions, and sauerkraut, served on a bun with melted cheese. And, sure! Why not? The sauerkraut gives me pause, but I’m open to it.

But what does “spicy pork sausage” mean in this context? Italian sausage? Fresh kielbasa? Breakfast sausage? Chorizo? Texas hot guts? Any one of the thousand or so wursts that you can find in a German sausage specialty store (yes, we have one within an hour drive)? Just in the first page of Google results for “sloppy Otto” you will see everything from ground beef to ground pork mixed with pastrami spices! But the most common result just lists “spicy pork sausage” as the main ingredient.

A Sloppy Otto isn’t going to be a recipe thing, unless you are trying to recreate whatever the original sandwich might have been, so I get that I’m free to make it however I want. For me, I’d list the probable right answers, or best answers, again in this context, as 1) Mix up some ground pork with SPG and hot pepper flakes to taste 2) ground pork with pastrami spices 3) Texas hot guts 4) fresh kielbasa 5) everything else.

Who thinks what? Who has had a Sloppy Otto? If that’s you, what do you think of it?

[Steve R.]

I have never heard of a Sloppy Otto until now. But if it's a variation on a Sloppy Joe, I'm thinking just regular ol' spicy breakfast sausage is what you want, in place of the ground beef.

[Smoker_Boy]

I think it sounds good without the green and yellow bell peppers, onions, and sauerkraut.

[GolfGeezer]

I think he sat behind me on our flight to Boston not long ago. Spilled his drink and said something like "Otto go now..". Oh, wait, you're talking about a sandwich. Never mind!!

[LA Pork Butt]

I have never heard of it. I guess you can approach it a couple of ways. Use whatever you grew up that was considered spicy sausage. Or have a mixed marriage or an ethnic marriage. Assuming the sauerkraut makes it German choosing a sausage like Italian or Chorizo would make it an ethnic marriage.

[tstalafuse]

Never heard of it, but I think I would call the German Specialty store and ask if they have ever heard of it, what type of spicy ground sausage is used, and do they have any.

However, if it is a German American twist, my guess would be the origin is from a poor family's meal, so they used whatever they had left over to use. To start, I would just try it with whatever spicy sausage I like best. Then the testing would have to start to determine which spicy sausage I liked best in this sandwich because the sandwich sounds amazing to me.

[Smoker_Boy]

@Mosca - You do realize that the Yahoo author was probably reporting on hydrogen fuel cells 3 days ago, right?

[Michael_in_TX]

I laughed way too loud at this.

[jfmorris]

I think it is likely spicy breakfast sausage. Think "Jimmy Dean" or such. That is already in a 1 pound chub and easy to bust up for browning just like ground beef would be in a sloppy Joe type sandwich.

[Steve R.]

I don't know if you can get Jake's Fresh Country Sausage at Kroger in your area, but I think the "hot" version would excel at this.

[Porkies]

Beat me to it, jfmorris .

[PGH_RAM]

Yeah, I was thinking a chub of Jimmy dean, or whatever the superior local brand is, would be the way to go.

[Mosca]

@Mosca - You do realize that the Yahoo author was probably reporting on hydrogen fuel cells 3 days ago, right?

The writer and the article are only relevant in that they brought the sandwich to my attention. First thing I did was a search here, and got a blank. For what it’s worth, the article is actually okay in its scope and reportage. Which, yeah, that’s kinda nice for a change.

The fact that none of us lovers of full-blooded food has only confirmed that even among niche foods, this is a niche inside that. But my mom served us sloppy joes in the ‘60s, and the earliest I could find a mention of sloppy ottos is for Polish sloppy joes from 2018, and that uses ground beef (which is also about 25% of the sloppy otto recipes). Everything else is within the last 3 years, and a search for “sloppy otto origin” yields almost nothing except sloppy joes.

I’ll put this on my to-do list, but it’s going to have to wait a bit; this is one that Mrs Mosca wouldn’t touch. I already have a few things lined up: I want to make a pesto chicken Caprese, and I am thinking of a way to “boil” ribs that doesn’t waste flavor. (Maybe steam them to reduce the amount of water used, then concentrate the water and incorporate it into a gravy. Broil the ribs to brown them, and serve with the gravy.)

[Carolyn]

There is a mention of the "Sloppy Otto" from 2016 on a blog called Little Home Big Alaska, and the person who wrote the blog stated she got it from the Taste of Home magazine.

The author from Taste of Home stated this recipe comes from an old family recipe. He is in Wisconsin, so it makes sense that a German inspired sandwich would originate from there. Taste of Home updated the page, so I am not sure when the recipe was originally published, but the oldest review/comment was in 2016.
Taste of Home

"Spicy Bulk Pork Sausage," I guess you just pick your favorite.

[Carolyn]

Mosca Sure thing.

[PGH_RAM]

Your Google-fu is powerful!

[Carolyn]

PGH_RAM "I Google; therefore, I am." (or In this case, it was "Duck Duck Go.")

[JeffJ]

This is what I think of when I hear spicy pork sausage.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bob-Evans-Zesty-Hot-Premium-Pork-Sausage-Roll-16-oz-Fresh-Sausage/10533360?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5048&adid=2222222227710533360_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=t&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9016902&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=10533360&wl13=5048&veh=sem_LIA&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=2222222223710533360_117755028669_12420145346&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=t&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9016902&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=10533360&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIptGj8Fjme_6MSWqPvNig9-K&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpZnjld3qgwMVW0p_AB0IkwfiEAQYASABEgK1g_D_BwE

it’s versatile and I use it often.

[barelfly]

Ok. I’m referencing Adam Sandler’s Lunch Lady Land again, within 2 minutes! He has to change the lyrics to Sloppy Otto! Just for this post! although I guess it doesn’t have the same feeling that Sloppy Joe, Slop, Sloppy Joe brings to the song

[smokenoob]

I had a dog named Otto so I can’t go there……

[MsTwiggy]

I would try it with Andouille or something like that. I know thats not German but when I read the ingredients that is just what sounds best to me. 🔥🔥🐿️

[Johnny Booth]

Hot Italian sausage is my take. It is very spicy. 👍