The Braise-y Tomato Sandwich
Roasted Tomato Meatball Sandwich
Braised meats such as meatballs, short ribs, or pork shoulder do their best with a little warmth and sauciness, which is why I regularly have roasted tomatoes in my fridge. Of course, roasted tomatoes make a great sandwich on their own with a little cheese, too, if you find yourself short on meatballs.
Extra ingredient: meatballs
Time: 10 minutes (10 minutes active)
Makes 1 sandwich
½ cup roasted tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons capers, chopped
3 to 4 meatballs
Fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Aleppo pepper to taste
One 6-inch seeded baguette
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 to 5 basil leaves
¼ cup fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
1. In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes, capers, and meatballs and warm over medium heat. If the tomatoes aren’t too saucy, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to keep things moist. Continue heating until the interiors of the meatballs are warm (taste the tomatoes and add some salt and freshly ground black and Aleppo pepper).
2. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and toast it in a toaster or toaster oven. Scratch the interior of the baguette with a garlic clove; two or three scrapes should do it.
3. Line the bread with the basil leaves, then fill with the meatballs and top with the mozzarella. If you have time you can broil the cheese, but I like the contrast between the cold cheese and the hot meatballs.
VARIATIONS
- Change the meat. This method works well with just about any stew-y meat: beef stew, sausages, braised chicken thighs, barbecued pork, or braised lamb shank.
- Skip the meat. This sandwich works well with grilled eggplant, braised fennel, and roasted zucchini.
- Change the cheese. Provolone is an especially delicious choice on a sandwich like this, but I don’t have it lying around as often as I do mozzarella. You could also top the sandwich with ricotta salata, halloumi, feta, or other bright, not too heavily aged cheeses.
- Add a different accent. Skipping the capers and adding a bit of browned garlic, some smoked paprika, and a pinch of cumin to the tomatoes takes the sandwich in a different direction. Try a little bit of Manchego on top in this case.