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Meatball Sandwich

17/11/2023

The meatball sandwich is a great classic that combines the Italian tradition of meatballs in tomato sauce with the comfort food of a soft and hearty sandwich. Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 500 g of ground meat (you can use beef, pork, or a mix)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 50 g of breadcrumbs
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley to taste
  • 1 mozzarella (optional, for the stringy effect)
  • Soft rolls (like hamburger buns)
  • 700 ml of tomato puree
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Fresh basil
  • Sugar (a pinch to correct the acidity of the tomatoes)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the meatballs: in a bowl, mix the ground meat with the egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, some finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Blend well until you have a homogeneous mixture.

  2. Shape the meatballs into the desired size, but they should fit comfortably within the bun you have chosen.

  3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and brown the meatballs on all sides until they are golden. Then you can remove them and set them aside.

  4. In the same pan, add a little chopped garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Then add the tomato puree, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, and fresh basil leaves. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

  5. Put the meatballs back in the sauce and let them cook for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.

  6. Cut the buns in half without completely separating them, and fill each sandwich with several meatballs and lots of tomato sauce.

  7. If you wish to add mozzarella, place a slice on top of the meatballs and put the sandwich in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and stringy.

  8. Serve the meatball sandwich hot, perhaps accompanied by a fresh green salad.

Curiosity

The meatball sandwich is a street-food variation of the classic meatballs in sauce dish. In countries like the United States, it is very famous especially in Italian-American cuisine, where it is often called a “meatball sub” or “meatball sandwich.” The secret to an excellent meatball sandwich lies in the quality of the meat and in the rich and tasty tomato sauce.

Meatball Sandwich