We’re solidly in the Ms now, which puts us about halfway through the list. If you’ve been following along, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that there’s only so many ways you can put things between bread before you start getting some repeats. It seems like so many of my sandwich posts lately revolve around the “What can I write about X sandwich?” question lately, and I don’t know whether it’s because the sandwiches lack novelty or I lack motivation. And while we haven’t explicitly done anything quite like a meatball sandwich yet that I recall–it’s a meatball sandwich. It’s a basic. Around here they’re considered a South Side Chicago thing, but I’m fairly sure you can find a meatball sub wherever you find Italian-descended folks making sandwiches.
Meatballs are like tiny little meatloaves. You take some meat (generally speaking an Italian-American meatball is going to be made with ground beef or a mixture of beef and pork), mix in some seasoning, bread crumbs, and eggs, and you roll them into balls and bake them. Then you soak them in some red sauce, slap them on a roll with some peppers and cheese, and you’ve got a meatball sub. The meat stays moist and soft due to the bread crumbs retaining its juices, the red sauce soaks into the bread, and the whole thing is a sloppy and tasty mess.
I have eaten a meatball sandwich or two in my life, and enjoyed them. (I can literally only think of two I’ve had before this month–from Bombacigno’s J&C Inn and the Stanger at Calabria Imports, both in Chicago.) They’re not my favorite, and I’ll rarely order one, but I’m generally satisfied when I do.
While other would take us to task for not calling it a meatball sub (which is is, but sub is short for submarine sandwich so that’s splitting hairs a bit I think).
As it happens, I live less than a mile from Bartolini’s, a restaurant famous for its meatball sandwiches. Infamous, maybe, as they have a meatball sandwich challenge.
If you can eat the 3ft long, 10lb meatball sandwich in less than 3 hours, you get it free. If you can beat the record, you get some cash out of it. PROTIP: you aren’t beating this lady’s record (also, do not watch this video if you’d like to continue enjoying food):
Bartolini’s meatballs are the moistest meatballs I’ve ever had. However, a fully loaded meatball sub with red sauce, giardiniera, and provolone cheese turns out not to be terribly photogenic.
It’s also difficult to eat. The sauce provides all the lubricant needed for the peristalsis of bread, cheese, and hands to push a meatball out onto the plate (if you’re lucky).
I tried a few others. I visited Bombacigno’s, a previous favorite, for a late lunch one day. They only had one meatball left (which I found out 25 minutes after I’d ordered the sandwich) but they filled the rest of the sandwich with Italian Beef instead. This was not the worst thing that could have happened to me. The meatball was dense and dumpling-like from a longer-than-usual swim in the red sauce, and the thin-sliced beef had begun to shred. Neither were presented at their best. Yet this was a good enough sandwich that I wondered why it wasn’t a standard combination, except that it didn’t really combine the two, just appended them one to the other. Still, a meatball/beef combo may be an idea whose time has come.
Bombacigno’s has been in business for a long time, and I like the place a lot. I’m not going to let one lackluster experience keep me from going back. However, not only were they just not on their game that day but everybody seemed… tired. I certainly hope that I’m only imagining things but I wonder how much longer they want to keep going. Then again, Mike Gebert wondered the same thing 4 years ago and they’re still kicking.
I also checked out the meatball sub from Loop stalwart Luke’s. Like most everything they do, it was a perfectly competent example of its kind.
I kept thinking about those meatballs at Bartolini’s though, so I returned for a meal on their patio. I requested the sandwich on garlic bread this time, and dry with sauce on the side, hoping for a better photo. I also ordered their “pub style” fries, which are tossed with garlic butter and parmesan.
To my surprise, the meatballs didn’t look terribly tasty, sitting naked on that garlicky grilled bread. Some red sauce and parmesan fixed that (for me, at least. Reddit still thinks this sandwich looks too dry).
No cheese (well, a little Parmesan), no peppers, but some juicy meatballs and a good red sauce are all you need for this sandwich, I think. Of course many will disagree, and they’re welcome to their opinion. In fact, they’re welcome to the sandwich. I’ve eaten more meatball sandwiches this month than I ever cared to, and while they were enjoyable enough, I can’t see myself going for one when there are so many other options that will be more satisfying.
The thing about a meatball sandwich is, they’re enormous, and they’re filling. That first bite is great, and the second, but before long, fatigue sets in. I think that’s why I liked the Bombacigno’s sandwich so much. When I was tired of the meatball half, I could take a bite of the Italian beef half to recharge.
If you’re a fan of the meatball sub, I do recommend the one at Bartolini’s. (The standard size, that is. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the 3ft long version). They also do a meatball pizza. I’ll probably try one of those before I ever have a meatball sub again.
A meatball sub is a sandwich made of a hoagie roll, meatballs, and cheese. Meatballs have always been a big part of Italian-American cuisine, so when sub sandwiches took over the scene, a cheese and meatball sub was a natural combo. The sandwich is called a sub because of the shape of the hoagie.
As it happens, I live less than a mile from Bartolini’s, a restaurant famous for its meatball sandwiches. Infamous, maybe, as they have a meatball sandwich challenge.
While other would take us to task for not calling it a meatball sub (which is is, but sub is short for submarine sandwich so that’s splitting hairs a bit I think).
I tried a few others. I visited Bombacigno’s, a previous favorite, for a late lunch one day. They only had one meatball left (which I found out 25 minutes after I’d ordered the sandwich) but they filled the rest of the sandwich with Italian Beef instead. This was not the worst thing that could have happened to me. The meatball was dense and dumpling-like from a longer-than-usual swim in the red sauce, and the thin-sliced beef had begun to shred. Neither were presented at their best. Yet this was a good enough sandwich that I wondered why it wasn’t a standard combination, except that it didn’t really combine the two, just appended them one to the other. Still, a meatball/beef combo may be an idea whose time has come.
We’re solidly in the Ms now, which puts us about halfway through the list. If you’ve been following along, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that there’s only so many ways you can put things between bread before you start getting some repeats. It seems like so many of my sandwich posts lately revolve around the “What can I write about X sandwich?” question lately, and I don’t know whether it’s because the sandwiches lack novelty or I lack motivation. And while we haven’t explicitly done anything quite like a meatball sandwich yet that I recall–it’s a meatball sandwich. It’s a basic. Around here they’re considered a South Side Chicago thing, but I’m fairly sure you can find a meatball sub wherever you find Italian-descended folks making sandwiches.
To my surprise, the meatballs didn’t look terribly tasty, sitting naked on that garlicky grilled bread. Some red sauce and parmesan fixed that (for me, at least. Reddit still thinks this sandwich looks too dry).
Speaking of tiffs, (which for non-English speakers who are kind enough to follow along here, is another word we use for “argument” or “row” or “fight” or squabble or “dispute” or…) I once got into a little row in a supermarket in Southern California, when I was teaching a class at a cooking school next door and needed anise seeds. The folks where I was teaching kept trying to give me fennel seeds, which they insisted were the same thing. Thankfully America is a melting pot culture and I headed straight to the meat counter, found someone who would know the answer for sure – an Italian-American butcher – and he quickly concurred, “Of course they’re not the same thing!”
In the states, these grinders were often served at Italian-American spaghetti joints, that also often have spaghetti and meatballs on the menu as well. Interestingly, I’ve been told that in Italy they don’t eat meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta. Since I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing every corner of Italy, I can’t say for an absolute fact*. But it’s amusing Italian-Americans are serving them up right and left.
Technically, these kinds of sandwiches are called “grinders”, and if you call them something else, then you weren’t raised in Connecticut. You’re probably from one of the 49 other states that doesn’t call them grinders, but refers to them as submarine sandwiches (or subs), torpedo sandwiches, hero sandwiches, poor boys, or hoagies. (Which I now realize, since the shoe is on the other food, are all just to confuse the foreigners.) So let’s just call them meatball sandwiches, because who wants to argue over names where there are hot meatballs bobbing in tomato sauce, ready to be sandwiched between two pieces of crusty bread, then topped with melted cheese to eat?
I was loosely inspired by the recipe in Tartine Bread, where meatballs sandwiches were sometimes the staff meal at their bakery. I futzed around with the recipe quite a bit and came up with what I’ve been digging into for lunch lately. This recipe makes kind of a lot of meatballs, but you can do as I did and freeze a portion of them in a zip-top bag or another container, and use them whenever the urge strikes for a meatball grinder. Or sub. Or hoagie.
But from what I’ve seen personally with my own two eyes (and accompanying mouth) in Italy meatballs, or polpetti, are served on their own. Basta. In France, meatballs called boulettes and I’ve only seen them in Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants, and they’re invariably oversized meatballs that come as part of a plate of various appetizer. I’m not sure who was the first person to put meatballs and tomato sauce on a sandwich, but whoever it was, I thank them for an excellent idea. And they get no argument from me.
You Won’t Find A Better Meatball Sub Recipe! | Better At Home
FAQ
What is another name for a meatball sandwich?
What is the name of the meatball sub at Subway?
Is it a meatball sub or hoagie?
Do Italians eat meatball subs?
What is a meatball sandwich?
The meatball sandwich is a common sandwich that is a part of several cuisines, including Italian-American cuisine and American cuisine. The sandwich primarily consists of meatballs, a tomato sauce or marinara sauce, and bread, such as Italian bread, baguette and bread rolls.
What’s in an Italian meatball sandwich?
You don’t have to have Italian blood running through your veins to appreciate a good, old-fashioned Italian meatball sandwich. This recipe has it all — sub bread, juicy homemade meatballs, delicious red sauce, and a dusting of mozzarella cheese on top to complete the sandwich.
How do you make a sandwich with meatballs?
11 Add 4 meatballs to each of the bottom halves of the rolls; top with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned, 1 to 2 minutes. 12 Add more sauce to each sandwich if desired. Sprinkle each sub with parmesan cheese and parsley. Top with the remaining hoagie roll halves. Serve immediately.
What are the components of a meatball sandwich?
There are basically four components to a meatball sandwich, which are the meatballs, the marinara sauce, the cheese, and the bread. Because I have my own homemade marinara sauce recipe that I absolutely adore and always prepare when a recipe calls for marinara, I begin by preparing that and keeping it warm.