Meatball Sub (With Venison)

This sandwich was inspired by Daniel Uditi, the chef over at Pizzana. My spin on the classic meatball sub was to swap out the beef with freshly ground venison from this year’s harvest. Since the venison is so lean I cut the blend with 50% ground pork to add some fat back into the equation. The meatballs were packed into homemade sesame rolls and finished off in a wood fired oven. Video showing the entire process below.

The Meatballs

1 pound ground venison (or substitute with beef)

1 pound ground pork

2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 cup of torn stale bread pieces, soaked in buttermilk*

¾ cup grated parmesan

Dried chili flakes (to your liking)

1 Egg

Salt and Pepper

Buttermilk

*I like to use any stale homemade sourdough bread I have laying around, but store bought works just as well. I like larger torn pieces as they give the meatball some airiness that you won’t get with the store-bought breadcrumbs. But if the pieces are too big, the meatball might begin to fall apart.

I brown my meatballs in a wood fired oven to give it a little smokey flavor but this can easily be done in a cast iron skillet. Brown all sides of each meatball and set aside as they cook. Once all the meatballs are browned, transfer them over to your simmering pot of red sauce and continue simmering (on low) for another 30 - 45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

This is my Nonna’s classic red sauce that I rarely deviate from.

Stewed whole San Marzano tomatoes

Garlic

Yellow onion

Basil

Parmesan Rind

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

The key here is simplicity, and good ingredients (especially the tomatoes). Lightly puree the tomatoes in a processor or with a stick blender. Be careful not to aerate the tomatoes too much. For a chunkier sauce you can simply crush the tomatoes by hand. Set aside in a bowl. Peel and dice three to five cloves of garlic and set aside. Peel and chop the onion in half. By cooking the entire halves you will impart the flavor of the onion and the sauce won’t have chunks of onion in it.

Heat a generous pour of EVOO in your saucepan at medium to low heat. Add your garlic and onion halves and let simmer for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn anything. Add a piece of parmesan rind into the hot oil, and let it simmer for another minute. The oils from the cheese will add depth to the sauce. Add your tomatoes to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. My Nonna would often use a pinch of white granulated sugar just to add a little more sweetness but if you’re using good quality tomatoes this step is not necessary. Add some chopped basil, stir, and set on medium/low. You want your sauce to simmer for about 30 - 45 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom.

Finishing Touches

I serve the meatballs (and sauce) on homemade sesame rolls that I’ve been iterating on this for the past year. That recipe can be found here. Slice each roll and open up like a book and set into a skillet or pan. Fill the entire surface with meatballs and ladle on a generous helping of sauce. Top with good quality buffalo mozzarella. Put the entire skillet back into the wood fire (or in your oven) until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the heat, garnish with some fresh basil and your sandwich is ready to go.