Categories: Sandwiches
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 6 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 jumbo onion, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 3 (28 oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- For the meatballs:
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tbsp. finely minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- For the subs:
- 4 plain old hot dog buns
- 4 tbsp. butter, at room temp
- Garlic salt
- 8 round slices provolone cheese, halved
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
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Make the sauce: In a wide soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, the oregano, basil, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Blend the sauce in the pot with a stick blender until smooth. Return the sauce to a simmer and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, form the meatballs: Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the milk, stir to moisten, and let the bread crumbs soak up the milk for 5 minutes. Stir in the egg. Add the beef, pork, Parm, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil and gently mix everything together with your hands, being careful not to overmix the meat. Moisten your hands and form the mixture into 12 meatballs, each slightly larger than a golf ball.
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In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, turning so they don’t get too crusty, 5-6 minutes total. When the sauce is ready, gently drop the meatballs into the sauce, cover, and simmer over low heat until the meatballs have cooked through, about 30 minutes.
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Make the subs: Preheat the broiler.
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Split the rolls open, spread with the softened butter, and sprinkle them with as much garlic salt as you want. Place each roll on a broilerproof plate or dish and broil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange 3 meatballs, 4 provolone halves, and some sauce on top of each broiled bun and return to the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes or so. Garnish with parsley.