Garbage Plate Sauce

A finely crumbled beef topping with a little heat and warm spices, ready to spoon over your choice of fries, hot dogs, or burgers.

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Keep the texture fine and spoonable

Mince the cooked beef finely and let the sauce simmer gently. Add water a little at a time if it starts to dry out.

Garbage Plate Sauce

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A finely crumbled beef sauce with vinegar, cayenne, and warm spices for spooning over fries, hot dogs, or a homemade garbage plate.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 topping portions
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Instructions Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ Lb. Ground Beef
  • 1¼ Cups Water plus more as needed
  •  
    1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
  • ½ Tsp. Paprika
  • ½ Tsp. Black Pepper
  • ¼ Tsp. Chili Powder
  • ¼ Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • ¼ Tsp. Salt
  •  
    ¼ Tsp. Allspice ground
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
  • ¼ Tsp. Ground Cumin
  •  
    ¼ Tsp. Ground Thyme
  • ¼ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Equipment

1 Skillet
1 Spatula
1 Food thermometer
1 Knife and cutting board

Instructions
 

  1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Check that the beef reaches 160°F (71°C), then drain the excess fat.
  2. For a fine texture, chop the cooked beef on a clean cutting board, then return it to the skillet. Alternatively, use a food processor according to its instructions for warm food. Do not seal steaming-hot food in a blender.
  3. Add the measured water, vinegar, and all the spices and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add small splashes of water as needed to keep the sauce moist and spoonable. Serve hot as a topping.

Notes

This is the meat sauce only; fries, macaroni salad, burgers, or hot dogs are separate accompaniments. The beef should be finely crumbled rather than puréed. Timing is approximate.

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Adapted from trishwa77’s Garbage Plate Sauce at Allrecipes. Ground-beef temperature follows FoodSafety.gov guidance.

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