The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

If meatballs were listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ...

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

If meatballs were listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ...

I'd have made a killing!

Six weeks ago, I blogged on my Sourdough Italian Bread. I made an offhand remark that "I am pretty sure this is the roll I would choose for a meatball sandwich, oozing mozzarella and dripping marinara sauce."

Well, I obviously stimulated lots of people's cravings. The past two weeks have seen a virtual meatball bombardment, here on TFL and even on SusanFNP's Wild Yeast Blog

I'm slow, but I finally got around to making meatball subs for dinner tonight. 

The rolls were made in the manner previously described, except I didn't coat them with sesame seeds. The meatballs were made using the recipe from Marcela Hazan's The Classic Italian Cookbook, except I used ground chicken thighs rather than beef, and I baked them rather than frying them.

Here are the meatballs after baking at 375/convection for 27 minutes:

After cooking in one can of chopped Italian tomatoes, they looked even better.

I also sautéed some Italian sweet peppers and sliced some fresh mozzarella. 

Mis en place

My wife wanted hers open-faced.

The sandwiches were assembled and run under the broiler until the cheese was melted and the bread slightly toasted.

Dinner's ready

 

  • Meatball sub with mozzarella and peppers.
  • Fresh corn, sautéed in olive oil with chopped red onion, dressed with lemon juice and lime juice.
  • Mixed cherry tomatoes.
  • Fresno State Barbera.

Better late than never. Way better!
By the way, as predicted, the rolls held up wonderfully well. No sogginess. No falling apart.

 

David

Comments

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

David, Oh my!  Beautifully set table!  You certainly started the ball rolling when you suggested meatball sandwiches!  I've been waiting all day for your meatball sandwich!   They do look fantastically delicious!  Your bread looks perfect and so comfortable with those meatballs and toppings tucked in, waiting for a big bite!

Sylvia

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

They were delicious. And not a drop of sauce on my shirt or the tablecloth! (No warranty implied.)

David

ehanner's picture
ehanner

I love that PR Italian with Biga formula. I've never made it with a natural levain though, my bad I suspect. Next week I'll make a batch for my Italian in-laws along with sausage and meatballs.

The corn dish caught my eye also. Here in the middle of corn country I'm looking for creative ways to serve fresh corn other than boiling or roasting on the grill. If I understand, just cut the kernels off, saute in oil along with red onion and finish with the citrus? That's it? Served warm I suppose?

I'm drooling now David, thanks for the post.

Eric

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Hi, Eric.

The corn salad is my wife's creation, although she says she has seen similar recipes in Gourmet and cookbooks (Greens?).

 

  1. Scrape kernels off 3 ears of fresh-picked (uncooked) corn.
  2. Coarsely chop 3 T red onion.
  3. Sauté corn in 2 T olive oil for 5 min. at medium heat.
  4. Push corn to the side of the pan, and add the onions. Sauté onions until translucent.
  5. Transfer corn and onions to a bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and lime juice over them (to taste) and mix.
  6. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
We have eaten this warm as a side dish and cold as part of a composed salad. Very yummy either way.
David

 

xaipete's picture
xaipete

Wow, your chickenballs look terrific, David. I love your addition of sweet peppers. Did you roast them yourself? And, the corn accompaniment is perfect. Corn is at its peak around here right now. I husked, boiled, and scrapped 50 ears last week for our freezer.

--Pamela

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

The peppers were sliced lengthwise and seeded, then sautéed in olive oil on medium-high until limp.

I imagine you could use your frozen corn for the salad, but nothing beats fresh-picked. See recipe above.

David

xaipete's picture
xaipete

Ah, I missed the Fresno Santa Barbara part. I'm growing some Fresno's--in honor of you--in my yard this year! I agree that nothing beats fresh picked corn, but corn picked in the morning, then husked, boiled, de-cobbed, and frozen immediately after picking comes in at a very close second.

--Pamela

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

The peppers are not Fresno chilies! The wine is Fresno State (California State University, Fresno) Barbera. The grapes are actually grown locally.

This has become my red "house wine." It is smooth and dry, yet very fruity. It goes well with anything with a tomato sauce or with roasted meats. It also substitutes well for Rhone-type reds.

I think it compares favorably with Italian reds costing 3 times as much. It's well under $10/bottle, locally.

As you may know, Fresno State's enology department is one of the top programs in the Country, and the students make some pretty good wine. The Barbera is the best of them, in my opinion.

David

xaipete's picture
xaipete

Guess I'll have to start putting on my reading glasses for the computer.

--Pamela

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Hi David, I have never roasted an Italian Sweet Pepper!  I must roast some!  I always use the red and green bell peppers.  I either roast them in the wfo or place foil under my gas burner and roast them over the fire setting right on the burner.  Then when completely black I place them in a bag for about 10 min. and then always remove the skins with paper towels...slice remove seeds and place them in a bowl of olive oil with plenty of diced garlic ,sea salt and let marinate in the refrigerator, good for several days if they last that long..I love these and eat them on slices of bread, salad, alone or Italian sausage and peppers sandwiches..they have a wonderful smookie flavor!  I'm addicted to them..my best Italian girlfriend still today...used to have them for her sandwich lunch in 3rd grade! 

Sylvia

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Hi, Sylvia.

I like red bell peppers prepared as you described, and most places do use them in sandwiches or as antipasti.

I actually used two kinds of Italian sweet peppers. One was a pale yellow-green with a somewhat triangular shape. The other is dark green, long and narrow and twisty. I should have taken photos before I prepared them. They probably have other, more specific names, but I don't know them.

I don't roast either of these. I just sauté them. The curly ones are very good in omelets and as a bed for a firm white fish, like halibut. I've also used them in ratatouille. 

David

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

I'm going to have to get on the bandwagon and join all of you enjoying meatball grinders. Every time I see another posting, I'm wishing I had done the same. A glass of red with your dinner, heaven, I'm sure.

I'm especially glad to hear that it stands up well with the sauce. There is nothing worse that a grinder that turns to mush.

Nothing beats fresh corn in season. Your wife's corn salad sounds wonderful with the lemon/lime. I'll be sure to try it. I  have a version where you saute the corn in olive oil until it carmelizes, like roasted corn on the grill.

So many culinary delights to explore

Betty

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Hi, Betty. 

You can take comfort in that the meatball sub/grinder/hoagie/whatever has been well-tested and found to be good.

I certainly share your dislike for fluffy rolls that dissolve in sauce or meat juice. Isn't it great that, if we don't want that kind of roll, we can make them better?

Hmmm ... The other sandwich that I love which also challenges it's roll is barbecued beef with a Texas-style, tomato-based, spicy, smokey sauce.

Next project?

David

threedogs's picture
threedogs

OK, this made me defrost a couple of pounds of ground turkey I got (discounted, as usual for me!) and about a half pound of hamburg. Going to make some turkey/hamburg meatballs and sauce... haven't made a sauce for what seems like forever.

I ran out of flour for rolls - that's almost a level of crisis. I'm in the Boston area - not close enough to make a trip in town just for rolls, though. There's one place in the North End (our Little Italy) that makes great, braided sesame sub rolls - Bova Bakery. But they're open 24 hrs a day, so, in theory, if I was awake enough to take a ride in the middle of the night, I could avoid all the traffic, hehe:

http://www.northendboston.com/bovabakery/

Of course - it's so much easier and more fun to make my own (I hate driving, and have pain that prevents me from doing much driving these days).But Bova is one of the last of the old school businesses there - so many have closed down, and I so want them to stay forever!

I'm rambling here - but that's what the thought of good food does to me - it evokes all sorts of memories...

hullaf's picture
hullaf

I'll buy some of that meatball sandwich stock! I also made this and my hubby said three times while he was eating "gee, this is really good." 

The sourdough Italian rolls - your recipe take off from Wild Yeast's blog - came out very good; the taste great, and the texture and crumb wonderful. (I had been looking for a "brat bun" and this will fit the bill.) I did substitute 25% whole wheat flour.

For the filling -- the marinara sauce was just a chopped large tomato (heirloom Cherokee purple was all that I had on hand) and some tomato paste that I needed to use up with Italian dried herbs, cooked till a thick sauce. And lightly fried large slices of onion + green pepper (a nice variety from my garden called Nardello which are best if fried), lastly cheese and some veggie meatballs from Gardenburger. 

Thanks for the summer menu idea.   Anet

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed your meatball subs!

David