Local Flavor
Serves Him Right Chamber president dishes on sloppers
photos by Jeff Adkins
Sunset Inn’s version of a slopper
A slopper is a slopper, right? Not according to 23 restaurants that are members of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce. Rod Slyhoff, president of the Pueblo chamber, says all 23 restaurants have a different version of the slopper, and for one main reason. “It’s the green chili,” Slyhoff says. “Everyone’s green chili recipe is different in their taste and the way they make their chili. Almost all of the recipes are handed down from generation to generation and perfected along the way, and highly guarded. And all 23 restaurants are independently owned and operated – there are no chain restaurants. That’s why there are so many different and unique recipes.”
Do You Agree? According to the Travel Channel’s show Food Wars, Sunset Inn serves the best slopper in Pueblo. See what you think by trying all the varieties of sloppers the city has to offer. Contact the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce for a list of all Pueblo restaurants that proudly serve this sloppy specialty. (719) 542-1704 or (800) 233-3446 www.pueblochamber.org
44
i m ag e s p u e b l o . c o m
Thin or Thick Chili A slopper is a hamburger patty weighing one quarter to three quarters of a pound, with a bun on the bottom, and usually served open faced in a bowl. It is then covered with red or green chili, although most people in Pueblo prefer green. The slopper can also have cheese and onions and other various toppings, but it’s the green chili that gives it the distinct flavor. “The chili can also range from being really thin to really thick,” Slyhoff says. “Some restaurants use potatoes to thicken it, while others use a roux of corn starch and milk to thicken it, and a couple places even use refried beans.” In addition, the green chili can be served mild, medium or hot. “For example, if I have a slopper at Jorge’s Sombrero or at Papa Jose’s Union Cafe, I ask for half medium and half hot chili,” he says. “It’s just a perfect mixture for me.”