Spanish Hamburger (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:35 PM -0500 9/26/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>Most of the Sloppy Joes I've eaten had onions and peppers in them.

The recipe below seems to imply that the main
difference is indeed the presence or absence of a
bun.  There's also a cafeteria item I've seen
called a Sloppy José, which is in principle
spicier than the usual version of either Sloppy
Joe or (it would appear) Spanish Hamburger, as if
only Mexicans and not Spaniards could be named
José.

LH

>Sometimes the food research Barry presents seems obvious to me -- like
>"Bloody Mary" or "hot dog".  These are lexical terms that are important
>enough to merit a listing.
>
>But sometimes, they seem merely a combination of otherwise well-defined
>terms that have been combined to make the name of a dish.  If "Spanish
>Hamburger" is a combination of hambuger meat (well defined already) and
>peppers and onions (to give it a "Spanish" flavor), then the interesting
>part of the discussion would be that "Spanish" has a particular
>definition/sense involving ingredients meant to allude to
>Spanish-speaking lands (Mexico, in this case, I suppose), or at least
>presumed to do so (since when are onions a Mexican ingredient?).   The
>OED has "Spanish" as an adj, but not a specific food sense.
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Laurence Horn
>>  Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:41 AM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Spanish Hamburger (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: Spanish Hamburger (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  At 11:27 AM -0500 9/26/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>>  >Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  >Caveats: NONE
>>  >
>>  >I did look at the recipe, and it seemed to be a pretty
>>  standard Sloppy
>>  >Joe mix, except for the celery.  Maybe more peppers than is
>>  normal, but
>>  >I can't say for sure.  And that's the source of my confusion.
>>  >
>>  >Is Spanish Hamburger another name for Sloppy Joe meat?  Or
>>  is it Sloppy
>>  >Joe with celery added?
>>
>>  I'd say the onions and peppers are even more crucial.  None
>>  of these make the hamburger Spanish, but they do make it
>>  "Spanish", or did back when the recipe was printed.  (I don't
>>  mean to suggest that sloppy joes can't contain these
>>  ingredients do, but they're not criterial in that case,
>>  although the tomato sauce is.)
>>
>>  LH
>>
>>  >  > -----Original Message-----
>>  >>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  >>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Laurence Horn
>>  >>  Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 7:20 PM
>>  >>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  >>  Subject: Re: Spanish Hamburger (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>  >>
>>  >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>  -----------------------
>>  >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  >>  Subject:      Re: Spanish Hamburger (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>  >>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >>  -----------------
>>  >>
>>  >>  At 5:50 PM -0500 9/25/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>>  >>  >Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  >>  >Caveats: NONE
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >They'd have to have a definition, wouldn't they?  So
>>  what makes a
>>  >> >Spanish Hamburger distinct from any other?
>>  >>
>>  >>  Note the recipe (intervening material from Barry's post deleted):
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>  >...> http://iwant.on.ca/Recipes/SpanishHamburger.html
>>  >>  >>  "SPANISH HAMBURGER"
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  This recipe is not all that low in fat due to the  hamburger
>>  >> but if  >> you use lean or extra lean ground beef it will help
>>  >> reduce the fat  >> content in it.
>  > >>  >>
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  Ingredients.....
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  1 lb. lean or extra lean ground beef  >>  1/2 green pepper,
>>  >> diced  >>  1 onion, diced  >>  2 celery ribs, diced  >>  1
>>  can (15-16
>>  >> oz) stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce 1  teaspoon  minced
>>  >> garlic
>>  >> >>  Optional: 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (this takes the acid
>>  out of  the
>>  >> >> tomatoes)  >>  1/4 cup of water  >>  hamburger buns  >>
>>   >>  >>
>>  >> Put the extra lean ground beef, green pepper, onion and
>>  celery in a
>>  >> >> pan, and brown the meat. The vegetables will cook
>>  along with the
>>  >> >> meat.
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  Drain, then add the tomatoes or tomato sauce and
>>  minced  garlic.
>>  >> If  >> you like a sweeter less acidic sauce, add the sugar.
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  If you like a juicer sauce, add the water. You can let  this
>>  >> simmer  >> about 20 minutes.
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  You can double or triple the recipe, cook it in the
>>  pan  or  put
>>  >> it  >> in a crock pot to simmer. Eat it on a bun and call it  >  >
>>  >> sloppy joe's.
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>  LH
>>  >>
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>>  >>
>>  >Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  >Caveats: NONE
>>  >
>>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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