This fancied-up variation of a burger is a must-try. I love the fresh, bright flavors of the salsa combined with the perfectly seasoned meatballs and creamy mozzarella. No store-bought condiments necessary. Spectacular lunch on a cold day.
Beef Meatball Sandwich with Melting Mozzarella and Tomato Salsa
Credit: Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking by Gordon Ramsay
Ingredients:
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 pound ground beef
⅔ cup fresh breadcrumbs
3-4 tablespoons milk
4 submarine rolls, (or ciabatta rolls-my favorite)
2 balls of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
For the salsa-
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
Directions:
~Prepare the meatballs: Saute the onion and garlic with salt and pepper in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly colored, adding the chile flakes after a minute or two. Place the beef in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk. Season with salt and pepper, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the beef and combine well. With wet hands, shape the beef mixture into large balls, about 1 ½ inches wide. Transfer to a lightly greased plate or baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
~Put a little oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs over medium-low heat with a dash of oil for about 10 minutes until colored on the outside and cooked all the way through. Set aside to rest.
~Meanwhile, combine all the salsa ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
~Heat the broiler to medium. Slice the bread rolls in half and toast the insides for a couple of minutes until golden. Remove from the broiler and set the meatballs on half the sliced rolls, pressing them down into the bread. Spoon over any cooking juices from the meatball pan. Top the meatballs with the mozzarella and place under the broiler to melt the cheese. Once melted, spoon the salsa on top and sandwich together with the remaining halves of the toasted rolls.
~Serve while still warm with any extra salsa on the side.
Nini
This looks delicious!