Homemade Meatball Subs

On the Menu this Evening ~ Meatball Subs and Fries

During the blizzard 2013 preparation I cooked. When I have a lot of nervous energy I cook! So on Friday I cooked to prepare for the possibility that we may have lost power and heat. One of the things I made was sauce and meatballs. I tend to cook for an army even though currently it is just three of us. So we had an abundance of left overs. Tonight I decided to utilize them by making our own meatball subs! Man were they good.
We are blessed to have several really good local mom and pop pizza and sub places but I have to say, without sounding boastful, this would give them a run for their money.  I got fresh rolls from Tripoli's Bakery.

I tried to open them from the top and hollowed out the rolls a bit to make room for the meatballs...It worked so much better than slitting them on the side. This way the meatballs and sauce don't ooze out! Loved it!

Look how fabulously they fit! I really stuffed them full with the sauce and the meatballs! Then I covered them with parmesan cheese and some shredded mozzarella and provolone. So so good

Then had to check for a little quality control! Man I think I do the QC a little too much! By the time I am ready to sit down to eat I am already full! But I just have to make sure it's good right?

Please ignore the mess to the right of the picture! I am in a home with very low storage space so I created my own....Sadly my boys don't care how it looks....blah!  The recipe for the sauce and the meatballs to follow~                                                                    (photo by Grey Keleher)



Spaghetti Sauce

pancetta diced (or bacon lardons are fine if you can't find panchetta
3 28ounce can tomatoe puree
1 box chicken stock (adjust to your desired thickness)
4 white onions (diced)  3 for sauce 1 for the meatballs
5 cloves garlic (minced) 3 for sauce, 2 for meatballs
2 diced carrots
2 stalks celery diced
white or red wine (whichever you have on hand is fine, make sure if you cook with it you would drink it)
1 dried bay leaf
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste... (make sure you taste every time before and after you season)
dried basil and oregano to taste, I also sometimes use Italian seasoning. I like thyme in my sauce as well and Italian seasonings have it all. In the summer when my garden is filled with herbs I add the herbs at the end and use fresh but during the winter I rely on the dry. Add a little at a time.
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

I put a large pot on the stove add some olive oil to the pan until hot. Add the diced pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove the pancetta to a paper towel keep the oil and rendered pancetta fat in the pan. Add the diced onions and a good a mount of salt, a bit of black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Sweat the onions until just before translucent, add the diced carrots and celery and let soften. Add the garlic. Watch closely do not let either the onions or the garlic get any color. Add the wine and reduce for several minutes. Add the 3 cans of tomato puree and some of the chicken stalk. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  Add the bay leaf and basil, oregano and or Italian seasonings.



Meatballs
I really enjoy mixing my meats..I use a mix of ground veal, beef and pork.
1 egg
seasoned Italian bread crumbs
chicken stock
parmesan cheese
parley
diced sautéed onions
diced sautéed garlic
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

Combine all until you can form golf sized meatballs. I prepare them two ways depending on my mood. I love browned food and if I have the time I brown the meatballs in batches in a sauté pan in olive oil until browned on all sides then finish them off for a few minutes in the oven before I add them to my sauce. Other times if I am not feeling the browning method I just add the raw meatballs to the bubbling sauce and allow them to cook in the sauce hot tub! Both ways are amazingly tasty, try it both ways and see which one you like better.