You’re a hopeless romantic absent-mindedly galavanting the streets of Brooklyn. It’s fall. The leaves flutter fancifully to the ground, as if they are in charge of their own perpetual slow motion film.
Suddenly, a you hear a growl. A rabid street dog? A chemically induced grunt from a displaced, deranged transient?
No. It’s 2pm. And you have not eaten lunch.
Suddenly a gridlock of bodies loom closer and closer. A disengagement of annoyance begins to consume you. The once fragrant breeze has transformed into a ripe smelling pit of rubbish. It’s thick. It’s the culinary equivalent of walking through garbage scented cotton candy.
Hanger.
You need food.
No. You need a sandwich.
You wake up, drooling. You realize…you’re not in Brooklyn. You’re in Spokane.
So…you throw caution to the wind…roll up your sleeves…(and recognize that we are in a pandemic)..stay home, away from the paper masks and audacious 6 person tables and make my version…
Feeds 4; Takes a while..but I promise it’s worth it.
Ingredients and Method for the Meatballs:
- 1/2 lb 88/12 ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 2 sprigs rosemary, minced
- 3 sprigs thyme, minced
- 1/3 handfull basil, minced
- 3 tbsp ricotta cream (see below)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- EVOO, Salt and Pep
- Multigrain bread of your choice, sliced and buttered
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
Mix all ingredients together except gruyere and bread. Roll into balls. Refrigerate. Meanwhile, let’s make the supporting cast…
Ingredients and Method for Ricotta Cream
- 1/2 cup good quality, full fat ricotta
- 2 tbsp goat cheese
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 glugs 1/2 and 1//2
- Salt and Pepper
Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate. Reserve about 1/3 cup for building the sandwich.
See here for my recipe for the best All Day Marinara Sauce you need to simmer these honkers in.
Ingredients and Method for Pesto
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 4-5 Scallions (just the green parts)
- 1/2-1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup EVOO
- Salt and Pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Pesto is usually better if it sits, refrigerated for at least 2 hours.
Ingredients and Method for Quick Pickled Red Onions:
- 1/3 red onion, sliced very thinly on a mandolin
- 1 tbsp superfine white sugar
- 3-4 small glugs white wine vinegar
- Juice of half a navel orange (optional)
- Dash of salt
Combine all ingredients and mix. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
Let’s Put This Puppy Together:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute the meatballs in canola oil until browned and crispy crust forms. (Approx 1 min per rounded side).
In the same pan add marinara sauce (reserving a bit for dipping).
Turn heat down to 300 degrees and put saute pan in oven to cook for 10 min. Remove the pan promptly and cover with foil for another 10 min.
While the meatballs are resting, pop your buttered bread topped with grated gruyere in the oven for 6 minutes at 400 degrees.
FINALLY we can build our sandwich.
Top toasted bread with a meatball, a bit of extra marinara, pesto and then pickled onion. Feel free to dollop with extra ricotta cream too.
Have you ever been this happy in your entire life? And you didn’t even leave your kitchen.
Need more meaty inspiration? Try my Scavenger Beef Bolognese or Baked Bison Taquitos or perhaps Homemade Turkey Crunch Wraps with Muenster Chips.
