“This doesn’t exist in Italy,” says venerated chef Bob Kinkead, pointing to what’s left of the saucy, gooey sub on my plate — and chin. “It’s an Italian-American immigrant success story.”
Kinkead and executive chef Jeffrey Gaetjen have built a simple premise into their food at Campono in the Watergate in D.C.: Make it the best way it can be done. For their meatball sub, that means baking rolls with a crackling semolina crust; veal, pork, beef and prosciutto plus three cheeses in the meatball mix; a spicy marinara; and melty, house-made mozzarella that hugs the components just enough to guarantee a tidy first bite.
After that, “it’s a mess,” Kinkead says. “And I like it that way.”
Campono meatball sub
1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Stir in 1 small, finely diced onion, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Cook just until the onion and garlic have softened; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Tear 8 slices of country white bread into pieces. Soak them in a separate bowl with 1/2 cup regular or low-fat milk.
3. Add to the large bowl 2 pounds ground veal, 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef, 1 pound ground pork shoulder, 8 ounces finely chopped prosciutto, 1 cup grated pecorino-Romano, 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, 6 large eggs, 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 11/2 cups finely chopped parsley, 4 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and the soaked bread pieces, using your clean hands to blend the mixture well.
4. Form it into 65 walnut-size meatballs. Coat each one lightly with “00” flour, dividing them between two parchment-paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets. Roast in a 450-degree oven for 10 to 14 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
5. Use a food mill to puree 28 ounces canned whole San Marzano tomatoes (no can juices). Heat 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat, then add 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic starts to brown, then stir in the tomato puree. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, then taste and season lightly with kosher or sea salt and cracked black pepper. Stir in 6 to 8 basil leaves, if desired. Turn off the heat. Transfer 30 of the meatballs to the saucepan, turning them until coated. Cool and reserve/freeze the remaining meatballs for another use.
6. Open 6 sub rolls, keeping their halves partially attached; lay them on rimmed baking sheets. Tear out some of their inside bread. Spread a little sauce over the rolls; toast in 425-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes (keep the oven on). Use a total of 12 slices of fresh mozzarella and 6 slices of provolone to line each sauced sub roll half, overlapping the slices to cover completely. Line up 5 sauced meatballs at the center of each sub roll; return to the oven just until the cheese has melted. Close each sandwich, then cut crosswise in half. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings.
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