So...when you think of a sloppy joe, you're probably thinking of some ground beef in tomato sauce slapped on a roll, right?

WRONG.

In certain parts of New Jersey, like the part where I'm from, a sloppy joe is a different type of sandwich altogether. You can walk into any deli and order a sloppy joe, and you'll get some variation of this: a double-decker sandwich consisting of some kind of meat (turkey, roast beef, corned beef or pastrami are common), cole slaw, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on rye bread. It's certainly sloppy, but far, far more delicious than the more common meat-on-a-roll version.

There's a lot of debate over its origins, and a lot of people from Jersey have never even heard of it (I asked 3 of my Jersey co-workers if they knew about the "real" sloppy joe; only one did, and only because she married someone who grew up in the town next to mine). Most people think I'm crazy when I mention it to them. But those few in the know will defend our sloppy joes proudly and, for this now-New Yorker, nostalgically. You can't really find them anywhere but around my Jersey hometown, so I was impressed and touched when a friend of mine volunteered to concoct one for me last night. He got it just right (I'm not the greatest photographer so this pic doesn't do it justice): A slice of rye, some dressing, corned beef, cole slaw, Swiss cheese, more dressing, another slice of rye. Repeat. Biting into it, it brought back high school memories of going to the deli with friends, ordering sandwiches, and eating them outside in the park. I urge you all to try making one yourself; embrace the Jersey sloppy joe, and you'll never want that tomato-slathered ground beef again.