A Slopper is a cheeseburger, or hamburger served open-faced and smothered in red chile (aka chili con carne), or green chile (aka chile verde or green chile sauce). Sloppers generally include grilled buns and are often topped with freshly chopped onions and sometimes french fries. Eating a slopper is no easy task. The use of a fork or spoon is essential, but a fork & knife, or fork & spoon combination is recommended.
The Slopper is served in restaurants and taverns in the Pueblo and Colorado Springs area of Colorado.
History
The history of the Slopper is controversial. The common consensus is that the Slopper originated in Pueblo, Colorado in the early to mid 1970s . The first restaurant to serve the Slopper is undetermined. Some claim that it was first served in Gray's Coors Tavern. The same site also claims that the name slopper was derived from a comment by a customer stating that the dish looked like slop
. The website attributes the creation of the slopper to Johnnie and Joe Greco, who had previously owned the tavern.
Assembly
The assembly of a Slopper is generally as follows, starting from the bottom up:
Start with a wide oval shaped bowl or a deep dish.
# Hamburger bun, split in two and laid open side-by-side, with crust side down.
# One, two or three cooked hamburger patties on each open half of the bun.
# Sliced or shredded cheese on each stack, usually American or Cheddar.
# Red or green chile (chili) generously ladled over the stacks.
# Fresh chopped onions (optional).
# French fries (optional).
Some restaurants may just put a completed hamburger in a bowl and pour the chile (chili) over the top.
References
Sloppers were featured in a Travel Channel television show:
The Slopper
Category:Hamburgers (food)
