Solid Lifters' Meatball Sandwich
Traditional Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped or grated onion
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until tender. Add seasonings and continue cooking a few more minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, and then tomato paste. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Italian Meatballs
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef and ground pork
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped or grated onion
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated real Parmesan cheese (not the crap in the green can)
1 egg
1/2 Tbls. finely minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
In a large bowl, mix ingredients. Mix very well until meat mixture is very smooth like paste. (Use electric mixer if needed)
Add 2 Tbls. olive oil to skillet. Add meat shaped into medium sized balls and brown on all sides. Cook until done (about 15-20 minutes).
Add cooked meatballs and 2 Tbls. of meat fat to sauce. When ready to serve, heat sauce and meatballs.
Fresh French Bread
Store bought is fine if you know a place that sells a good one. Here, in SoCal, we have Albertson's French bread.
Provolone Cheese (mozzarella is OK)
Prepare
Once you have the sauce and meatballs heated and ready to serve, slice the top crust off the French bread. Scoop out the white bread filling on the bottom half. Lay down some cheese slices slightly overlapping each other on bottom half. Spread sauce over cheese with a large spoon. Add some meatballs on top of the cheese and sauce. Add more cheese or freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of the meatballs. Add more sauce to top of cheese. Add top of French bread. In the same skillet used for the meatballs, and some garlic butter to skillet and fry the bottom side only of the Meatball Sandwich for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Serve and eat.