Meatball Melties
Serves 4
Here’s Rach’s keeper of a recipe for a great meatball sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons grated onion
- A splash of whole milk
- 1/2 tablespoon rubbed or ground sage
- Fresh nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for generous drizzling
- 8 deli slices mild or sharp provolone cheese
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (15 ounces)
- A few leaves fresh basil, torn
- A pinch of dried oregano or marjoram
- 4 ciabatta rolls or 1/4 large ciabatta loaf, split and warmed or toasted
Directions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture, breadcrumbs, parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese, egg, garlic, onion, milk and sage; season with nutmeg, salt and lots of pepper. Form the mixture into four patties (thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking).
- Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.
- Drizzle the burgers all over with a liberal amount of EVOO. Place in the hot skillet and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes. Top each burger with two slices of provolone and tent with foil to melt.
- While the burgers are working, in a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes. Stir in the basil and oregano; season with salt and pepper.
- Place the burgers on the roll bottoms, then top with the sauce and roll tops.