Pickley Muffuletta Sub Recipes

MUFFULETTA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the oil, the carrot, celery, cauliflower, oregano, thyme and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are somewhat tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a small bowl and stir in the olives, pimento and salt. Set aside to cool.
• When the olive-vegetable salad has cooled, stir in the parsley.
• Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Using your hands, scoop out the inside of each bread half to make a shallow pocket. Brush the inside of the top half with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Fill the bottom bread half with the olive-vegetable salad and pack it down with your hands. Layer the provolone, mortadella and soppressata over the salad (without letting any hang over the sides).
• Cover with the top bread half and tightly wrap the sandwich with plastic wrap. Place the sandwich on a cutting board or baking sheet and weigh it down with a heavy object, such as a cast-iron skillet, for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Remove the plastic wrap and cut the sandwich into fourths or sixths. Serve.

MUFFULETTA MEATBALL SUB

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the capicola, ham and salami, and pulse until the meats are chopped.
• In a bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped meats, milk, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion, parsley and eggs. Mix until combined. Make a small test patty and cook. Taste the patty and then sprinkle the meat mixture with salt and pepper. Portion the meatball mixture into 3-ounce balls and arrange on a sheet pan. Bake the meatballs until three-quarters cooked, about 20 minutes.
• For the sauce: In a pot, heat the oil. Add the carrots, celery and onions, and saute until tender. Add the garlic, oregano and rosemary, and saute for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato paste and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
• Stir in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• For the tapenade: In a food processor, combine the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, garlic and some pepper, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil to the mixture slowly, while pulsing.
• For plating: Bring the sauce to a simmer in a pot and add the meatballs. Simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked, and then hold hot until ready to serve.
• Split the hoagie rolls and butter each side. Toast the rolls on a hot skillet or saute pan. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the tapenade on the toasted roll and spoon 3 meatballs into each roll. Top each roll with some tomato sauce, Parmesan and chopped parsley, then serve.