Meatball Sub/Meatball Sub

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon dried onion
  • ¼ teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
  • ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g Mutti)
  • 1 teaspoon tomato purée
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 150ml water
  • Pinch of fresh black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Meatballs:

  • 1 slice white bread, thick sliced
  • 40ml milk
  • 400g minced beef (not lean, medium fat content)
  • 200g minced pork
  • 1 teaspoon garlic granules
  • 1 teaspoon onion granules
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (home dry for vibrant colour)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 15g grated Parmesan
  • Olive oil (to fry)

To Serve:

  • 4 sub rolls
  • 6 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 4 slices mozzarella, cut into 2 triangles
  • 10g fresh parsley to garnish, chopped

Steps

Tomato Sauce:

  1. In a saucepan, heat the oil gently then add all the dry spices and sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar and water and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meatballs:

  1. Cut the crusts off the bread and chop into small cubes, soak in milk for 5 mins until mushy. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together along with the soaked bread and mix well. Form into 16 balls, approx 40-45g each (golf ball size) and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Pop into the fridge for 10 mins to firm up.
  2. Heat oven to 180°C.
  3. Once firm, in a frying pan heat around 1 tablespoon olive oil and once ready, fry in small batches until golden and cooked all over for around 10 minutes. Once cooked, drop into the tomato sauce to coat. If the sauce has thickened up too much, loosen with a splash of water.

To Serve:

  1. Slice the sub rolls in half, but not going all the way through, place on a baking tray to lightly warm in the oven for 2 minutes.
  2. Take out and generously brush the insides with some melted butter and spread a small amount of the tomato sauce on the base and inside lid. Place 4 meatballs in a row and top with a little extra sauce. Add a sprinkling of cheese and top with 2 cheese triangles and place in the oven until melted slightly. Serve straight away.