Juicy meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, loaded into a toasted roll and covered in melted provolone. No shortcuts here. We’ve gone high-fat beef for maximum flavour and soaked panko for a tender meatball that holds up in the sauce. This is a really good meatball sub!
Meatball Sub
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Category
Lunch
Servings
4
Prep time
40 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes
Juicy meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, loaded into a toasted roll and covered in melted provolone.
The foundation of a good meatball is the panade: breadcrumbs soaked in milk until they form a paste, which gets mixed into the mince and acts as a moisture trap. The panade keeps the meatballs tender through browning and simmering in the sauce. High-fat mince (80/20 or fattier) is equally important; lean mince produces a tighter, drier result because there’s not enough intramuscular fat to compensate for what’s lost during cooking.
The sauce is a simple sugo, and for this recipe I used Christian Petracca’s Nonna’s sugo. But I know not everyone has access to that, so you can buy sugo from the store or make it yourself using my recipe. You can also use passata but it won't be as rich as sugo.
Ingredient Notes
Panko breadcrumbs: Panko has a larger, more open crumb structure than standard breadcrumbs, which means it absorbs the milk more readily and forms a softer panade. That panade is what keeps the meatball tender through cooking. Fine regular breadcrumbs work, but the texture of the finished meatball is noticeably denser.
Minced beef (80/20 minimum): Fat content directly affects how juicy the meatball is. Lean mince (90/10 or lower) produces a firm, drier meatball because there isn’t enough intramuscular fat to compensate for what renders out during cooking. Chuck mince from a butcher naturally sits in the 80/20 range and is a good option if your supermarket only stocks leaner blends.
Provolone dolce: Provolone comes in two styles: dolce (young, mild, creamy) and piccante or classico (aged, firmer, sharper). For this recipe you want dolce, which melts evenly and cleanly over the meatballs. The aged version is excellent for eating as is, but it tends to split and go oily when melted under heat. Sliced provolone from the deli counter melts better than pre-grated.
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Chef’s knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Box grater (for onion and cheese)
- Large frying pan or sauté pan
- Tongs
- Second large frying pan (for toasting rolls)
Ingredients
- 100g (3.5 oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 100ml (3.4 fl oz) milk
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1kg (2.2 lbs) minced beef (high fat, 80/20 minimum)
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 brown onion, grated
-
4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700ml tomato sugo
- pinch chilli flakes
- pinch dried oregano
- 4 Hoagie rolls (or soft long rolls)
- 50g butter, softened
- 200g (7 oz) provolone cheese, grated
Directions
Prep the meatballs
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then set aside for 5 minutes to soak.
- Stir mixture well, then add the beef mince, parsley, onion and 1 of the garlic cloves, finely chopped. Combine thoroughly, then shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs.
Cook Meatballs and Sauce
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs, turning carefully, until they are browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
To make the sauce, add the garlic (lightly crushed) and sauté for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the chilli, oregano and tomato sugo. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes.
- Return the meatballs to the pan, turning gently to coat in the sauce. Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Finish and serve
Split the rolls in half, without slicing all the way through and butter the insides.
- Heat a large frying pan on medium high. Toast the insides of the rolls until golden and crisp.
Spoon the meatballs onto the rolls along with a generous amount of sauce. Top with the grated cheese and melt it either under the grill quickly or you can use a kitchen blow torch if you can one.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe notes
Chef Tips
Don’t overwork the mince mixture
Mix the meatball mixture until just combined. Overworking develops the proteins in the beef and produces dense, rubbery meatballs. Some variation in texture is fine; the mixture doesn’t need to be completely uniform before you shape it.
Brown in batches, not all at once
Crowding the pan drops the surface temperature and the meatballs steam rather than sear. Work in two batches, setting the first aside before adding the second. You want a proper crust on the outside: that caramelisation and the fond it leaves behind give the sauce its depth when you deglaze.
Storage
Store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Toast fresh rolls when serving rather than storing assembled subs. The meatballs can be frozen in their sauce for up to 3 months; defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop.
FAQs
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. The meatballs can be shaped and refrigerated up to a day ahead, or cooked fully in the sauce and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, then assemble the rolls fresh.
Can I freeze the meatballs? Yes. They freeze well in their sauce for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop over low heat. Toast the rolls fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Can I make it gluten free? The panko breadcrumbs and hoagie rolls are the two gluten-containing components. Both have widely available GF alternatives. GF panko gives a slightly different but still workable panade, and GF long rolls can be found in most supermarkets.
