Step 1

Heat a 4 quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (dry - no oil in the pan). Add the beef and brown thoroughly, chopping up the clumps as you go (a potato masher works great for this). The meat should be fine, not clumpy.

Step 2

While the meat browns, place the ginger snaps in a heat-proof bowl and pour 2 cups of very hot water over them. Set aside to soak.

Step 3

When the meat has cooked, examine the pot and decide if you need to drain the fat. Depending on the cut you use, you might not have to. If there's a pool of orange fat in the pot, I would skim at least some of it off. It's up to you, though.**

Step 4

Add the onions. If grating, you can grate the onions directly into the pot. Stir to mix with the beef.

Step 5

Pour in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Season with the black pepper. Pour in the ginger snaps with their liquids and stir well. The mixture should be thick at this point, and look like sloppy joe sauce.

Step 6

Add water, one cup at a time, until the soup has thinned, which will take 4 to 6 cups of water. It should not be watery, but also more soup-like than sloppy-joe-like, keeping in mind that some of the liquid will cook off. I used 5 cups for the batch in the photos that accompany this recipe.

Step 7

Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low-medium to maintain a tame simmer. Give one more stir to let everything settle.

Step 8

Lay the lemon slices over the top of the soup.

Step 9

Partially cover with a lid, and let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes or so to prevent scorching.

Step 10

Remove and discard the lemon slices.

Step 11

Stir in the sherry and hard boiled eggs.

Step 12

Taste, and adjust salt and pepper. If the flavor needs brightening - if it's too sweet from the ginger snaps - add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.