WHY We’ve All Been Eating MEATBALL Sandwiches WRONG (Cuzzetiello)

[@tyeikenberg8938]

Been doing this my whole life. Learned it from my mom. Only thing I changed while making it myself is I turn the hollowed bread into garlic bread. Just when you think a meatball sub can't get any better. Enjoy.

[@carolyn7298]

That sounds great!!!

[@Drewpost19]

@@carolyn7298Thanks for going all these years without telling us about it. Wtf 😂

[@niteshades_promise]

i worked in a pizza shop that had hoagie bun garlic bread, i would make all kinds of subs on garlic bread. blew the owners sons mind. meatball and Italian were the best. 🍻

[@coppulor6500]

@@niteshades_promise good lord why hasn't that occurred to me. so obvious. brilliant!! thank you! more deets?

[@mrichardmoore]

What did he do? I don’t feel like watching that much of the video.

[@mschmalfeldt]

This has got to be one of the best, no bullshit cooking shows on this entire platform! Bravo, dude. Bravo

[@jk77l]

Yes, hes awesome!

[@thenonexistinghero]

He uses like a fistful of salt. I know the salt guidelines are bollocks, but that much salt kinda ruins the taste IMO.

[@Trigger200284]

I don't know who can afford to use that much olive oil though. That's insanity.

[@mschmalfeldt]

@@Trigger200284 I wouldn't use Olive Oil to fry, too easy to burn it and ruin the flavor/smoke out the kitchen. No shame in using Canola or Vegetable oil

[@mschmalfeldt]

@@thenonexistinghero then don't use as much salt in yours.

[@nellgwenn]

I do this all the time. The only thing I do differently is to add cheese as I fill the bread. You just have to watch so you don't make the hole too big so the bread is too thin. It works with Italian beef too.

[@AdeJohnson]

I was thinking, cheese in that bad boy in stages would be perfect. 👍

[@royal_kira7184]

Yes! That’s what I thought as well! Sprinkle some cheese as you go so every bite has some parm deliciousness.

[@chickiemm6648]

Italian beef is genius

[@hornyducks4090]

For real, gotta add some mozzarella or provolone alongside this, and it would be the perfect sandwich.

[@omarlago4372]

He didn't put enough cheese

[@geneh460]

This is how I was introduced to meatball subs as a kid. Hollowing out the bread is truly the best way.

[@GregSzarama]

How difficult is it to cut the baguette in half to make it longer and taking out the inner bread? Is there a trick to taking out the inner bread when longer?

[@geneh460]

@GregSzarama Metal tongs work well. The silicon tipped ones don't dig into the bread as well but they work in a pinch.

[@seanrwhalen]

I LITERALLY have a batch of dough rising and meat thawing in the fridge to make meatball subs for dinner, then you posted this video. What a wild coincidence! I used to get meatball subs from a food truck in Tinton Falls, NJ, where they would chop up the meatballs on a flat top with cheese, kind of similar to the way a cheesesteak is prepared. Still the best meatball sub I've ever had.

[@ChickpeaMilkshake]

I like half pork, half ground turkey meatballs, yum!

[@HyrulianBeast]

Google is always watching.

[@13Voodoobilly69]

That sound friggin great. I will have to do this soon.

[@mralloc23]

Chopped meatball sub sounds *okay* but I feel like you want the meatball to be whole so you can enjoy the tenderness inside and the crusty outside. I hope that fresh bread hit the spot though 😄

[@Silence-and-Violence]

​@mralloc23 you can retain both textures if you give the meatballs a good sear and don't chop them with anything wet. Sprinkle some parm on the way in and I think a chopped meatball filled sub would be top notch. A decent cook could for sure retain both textures.

[@babounous]

Thanks for this, I'm a "sandwich nut" and always looking for new techniques.....this one is so OBVIOUS, and yet it has escaped me for 50 years of my life. :)

[@CanalGabrielCoelho]

in Brazil we do a version of sloppy joes using the end of buns like that. We have a bread called "french bread" here, which has nothing French in it, but it is like a short 6" baguette, we hollow these out and fill with ground beef in tomato sauce.

[@renangeek47]

Famoso buraco quente kkk

[@mobri2a]

Thanks! We've made your Cuzzetiello recipe twice in the last month and making it for dinner tonight.

[@lucascady4992]

I like that you used the bread you pulled out in your meatballs! True chef, nothing goes to waste! Looks Amazing, thanks for the video! 😮

[@Gerisheng]

I remember this from when I was a kid. It really is the perfect way to eat a meatball sub, as you so perfectly demonstrate.

[@josephmarciano2584]

"I've been feeling lazy for months." Affirmative!

[@susanhilderbrand3375]

I worked at a couple sub sandwich shops when I was younger & we did it a little differently, slicing the hoagie bun not all the way through, then hollowing out the top bun to make space for the meatballs & sauce, with some cheese first to prevent the sauce from soaking through, then cheese again on the opposite bun. Both shops I worked at happened to use provolone. Just thought I’d share - this way you showed looks very cool & I want one of those food mills now!

[@gungadinn]

Growing up, the only way that the local sub shop served Meatball subs was coring out the roll, sprinkling a mixture of a couple of Italian cheeses inside, then stuffing with homemade meatballs and capping the end with the bread plug removed. This dates back 50 years or more. The neighborhood I grew up in had Italian, Greek, German, and Polish specialty shops, as well as first class bakeries. You didn't go to grocery store for lunch meats, sausages, bratwursts or cheese, as these shops had the best of the best.

[@minitanku]

One of the best cooking channels on the site. Vibe I get is like a friend or neighbor explaining food and cooking to me, to where everything makes sense and I need little convincing of the choices you make while prepping and cooking. Great approach to the vids

[@loufancelli1330]

Genius! Literally the only reason I don't eat more meatball subs is because they fall out and make a mess. How simple yet elusive an idea :)

[@krazmokramer]

THIS IS CULINARY BRILLIANCE!!! Plus...this is the first cooking YT video that specifically says you don't need to use pork. Since I don't eat pork, this recipe is a keeper and a doer. As for the waistline comment, I bake a challah and a rye hearth loaf every week. I would rather have a fat waistline than no bread. But that's just ME. Now I need to find a great Italian loaf recipe (I'm in Kansas so no great Italian bakeries nearby) and then give this meatball sandwich a go. THANKS for this video!!

[@YiJoro]

Brilliant. So simple, yet such a solution.

[@duewhit310]

Great for drunk people! Unnecessary for sober ones, a sliced hoagie is good enough!

[@texanpilot8264]

I just returned from a month in Africa almost completely cut-off from the outside world. How nice to come across this video from one of my favorite YT chefs. I can't wait to make these meatball subs for my family. Thanks for sharing.

[@joepiazza3756]

What works for the middle section is to cut the top and drop the meatballs in. V-cut or hollow if needed. You almost eat it like a hotdog. It stays relatively clean and it's a good way to use the non-butt ends and it's a good way to add cheese on top if you want Mozzarella or something.

[@jishani1]

You could use the middle the same way as the end pieces, just don't cut the hole all the way through the middle piece, cut it about 70-80% through and leave some bread to hold in the meatballs and sauce.

[@joepiazza3756]

@@jishani1 you could but you risk leakage on most subs.

[@IRISHnPHISHY]

Sooooo a regular meatball sub.....

[@joepiazza3756]

@@IRISHnPHISHY you would be surprised how many just do it like any other sub.

[@salemruse001]

When I was young, Mom used to talk about a fast food item called a (and I'm not sure the spelling) "WhatNick" that is a chili cheese dog served in a baguette end. She started making them at home and it was one of my favorite things while growing up.

[@pocketdimes1048]

There’s a place in San Diego called Divine Pastabilities that does their meatball subs this way. They also do any type of pasta with any combination of protein you like in it as well. They call it Torpasta. I’ve been going there since the mid 2000’s. They have shirts that say I ❤ carbs.

[@russ3137]

Website says that they are now 'Permanently Closed'. :(

[@pocketdimes1048]

@@russ3137 oh man, that’s a bummer! I had no idea.

[@biochemcareer]

No Waste! Love how they use the top and bottom quarter of the loaf for meatball subs, then hollow it out and use that in the filling! The center is my favorite part for garlic bread and sandwiches, so this works out perfectly!

[@flintcityhc1524]

Reminds me of the infomercials for dumb products. “Too stupid to open cupboards?” “Are blankets confusing?” “Cant figure out how to hold a sandwich?”

[@mikepaulus4766]

In Montana there was a "sandwich" place that would cook the bread in a mold, like a tomato can with a metal table legin the middle. The effect was like a cylindrical waffle that you fill with whatever sandwich goodies you want. It was a thing in Helena, but they tried to open other locations in other parts of the state and they didn't take off. I only ate there once.

[@bkm2797]

Clever, makes perfect sense! Thanks Steve for the recipe as well!👍❤️

[@SwivelIanJ]

There was a spot in Long Beach, California years ago my dad used to take us too. They would hollow out the bread at one end and then stuff it with meatball, sauce, and cheese over and over until it's stuffed full. Then they would plug the hole with some of the bread that was taken out and then toasted in the oven. Best meatball sandwich I ever had.

[@bigbitchmarco69]

Do you know if it’s still around? I’d love to try it as I’m not too far from Long Beach - sounds like a delicious sandwich

[@shermaynebrown5165]

This makes so much sense! Love it!

[@toregister8615]

I love this concept! It reminds me of a crusty bread soup bowl. In fact I might try this with the soup bowl, but in the tradition of a meatball sub. I use a very similar meatball recipe, only I also put minced onion with some of the water squeezed out in my meatballs. I find this ensures this incredible moisture in the finished meatball, plus adds wonderful flavour. However, I will be using Romano instead of Parmesan from now on. That's a very good tip and a great video!

[@lizstraub6621]

Thursday's dinner, DONE! Thanks, Steve XO getting the fresh bread tomorrow 🥰

[@13Voodoobilly69]

There was a place called Torpasta in San Diego that made their sandwiches just like this, they even had special toasting rods they used to toast the inside of the hollowed roll.

[@VeliusCoba]

Paused @7:21 I call redo! This was perfect, But I call redo and Incorporate Cheese please. Yes I could do it but I feel it should have been here by default. Provolone of course Sir.

[@Max-9871]

Thats how i do hotdogs and cheesesteak sandwiches the past 20 years cause its the most logical step for "dirty" sandwiches that are hard to eat. You guys have to try that with cheesesteak. Just but the shreded steak and onions in and just fill it up with molten cheesewiz its so freaking delicious and you can eat it one handed

[@inthefade]

Secret: Adding some baking soda into the meatball will give you better browning and tenderize the meat. Just not enough that you'll taste it or it is disgusting. Adam Ragusea did a video on this recently, I recommend checking it out.

[@germainedubois8526]

I will definitely have to check that video out - no matter how many recipes I’ve tried my meatballs always come out so dense 🫣- so to try something new - thanks for the tip to check out♥️

[@catmip]

@@germainedubois8526also don’t overwork the meat by squeezing it. Use a gentle mixing technique And don’t press too hard when forming the meatballs. I also bake my meatballs.

[@RyanWithersAway]

Legit my favorite cooking youtuber.

[@markdohrmann5983]

I feel like I just had my world turned upside down, but in a good way! This just makes so much sense!

[@johnross8614]

I have a completely different way to eat my meatball sandwich. (Especially one I get from a restaurant) I remove the meatballs and set them aside I then take the bread all nice and sauced with lots of mozzarella and bake it in the oven until the bread is nice and crunchy and eat the bread and meatballs separately.Usually the meatballs last as they are my favorite part.

[@sobanoodles192]

Brilliant!! Thanks Steve

[@MarkMatthewsNJ]

Thanks!

[@bigal0172]

Beautifully made boss. Beautifully made!

[@theimp5901]

As a young guy in my city, the food trucks featured meatball sandwiches this way on half of a pizza bread. Italian people cooked them and served them Italian style- like this. A Pizza Bread was a round Italian roll about 7-8 inches in diameter. Sliced in half they , inserted the gravy and the meatballs. Sausage and peppers or sausage sub, same deal. Wow I miss that.

[@Gloriajeanne33]

Wow! A Total Gamechanger. This is how lm making meatball subs going forward.

[@jamesstein5087]

I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate Mozz into this, any thoughts?

[@michaelcoletta4547]

​@@jamesstein5087 Yes... add mozzarella into the bread tube.

[@TMckenny59]

I was a cook in an Italian restaurant in the early 80’s. We made meatball subs just like this but we plugged the open end of the sub with a hunk of the bread we pulled out from the center. Made it even less messy.

[@TanukiSC]

This is so simple, it’s irritating. Great stuff as always - keep killing it!

[@patrickbrown73]

I’ve had these forever in the area where I live. Sometimes they are called Heel sandwiches. Referring to the heal of the bread loaf. They are also served different ways. Just sauce or just meat sauce. Sausage. You can add things like hot peppers or mushrooms, etc. You can even get a roast beef and gravy heel.

[@NGUJZ]

GENIUS!! All great things come from Italy!!

[@lucilletabbutt6703]

Uh, Mexico

[@brianglendenning1632]

Well, as a previous owner of an Alfasud….it was also great!

[@JohnDoe-lt3hi]

Tomatoes came from South America.

[@davidburghardt8155]

My life has just changed - yet again thanks to you -- I love your channel --- thank you!!

[@jeremysmith9696]

MIND BLOWN!!!!

[@tannerbananer5774]

Man, I've got a small stomach, i don't really eat a lot, and I'm definitely not a cook, but i've always loved meatball subs. 100% im making this. Solid upload man.

[@RightDoc]

Love that your ingredients for meatballs are almost exactly like my Neapolitan family’s recipe. We don’t measure much but ingredients are the same. Nothing weird like so many others…no oregano 🤢, no rosemary 🤮, no garbage spices to give you acida! We may add a bit of fresh parsley to round them out but you’ve nailed it. Your sauce is perfect, simple, quick and pure! Bravo. I roll my eyes and laugh to myself every time I see somebody paying $8.99 for 20 ounces of garbage supposedly “Italian” sauce in the grocery store. How ridiculous. Italian food is simple. Simple whole ingredients combined to be delicious! Keep up the good work. Love you and your content!

[@hbgriss]

I worked at Togos in 1988. I use to do this for myself and for customers. It’s absolutely the most fantastic way to do the bread.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤❤

[@Nothing-zw3yd]

We have a 123 year old Italian bakery in my city, all of their products made the same way since the beginning, in the same location with the same ovens. They sell "meatballs in a heel", just like this, it's amazing. Whenever I make meatballs and sauce, I always get a couple loaves and make them at home.

[@sodapop83]

could you please come up with a nice summer cucumber salad?

[@ROJO25]

I do the same method for the bread, but stuff thinly sliced provolone and pepperoni inside before adding the meatballs. It's a treat.

[@matthew.dehaven]

my buddy Josh and I used to do this back in the day (2004/5) when we worked at Subway.

[@CS-mv3nw]

I have been looking for this recipe since 1980. The best one I had in Kansas City was in a little place on Westport Blvd. Their grinders (subs) were perfect. Thank you!

[@wizarian]

Bravo, if you cook the meatballs directly in the tomato sauce without frying them, they will taste more delicate.

[@michaelcoletta4547]

Indeed... it just takes a lot longer that way, cooking raw meatballs in the sauce.

[@hendrixj.8356]

Some like the flavor of the maillard reaction

[@KtotheL]

i dont usually comment on food videos but i learned a lot from this one ! fabulous !!! thanks for all your effort and willingness to share how awesome and intelligent you are.

[@Callmestick103]

There was a place that did meatball subs like this at Milldenhall AFB in England 35 or 40 years ago. It really is the best way to do meatball subs.

[@KnotheadRuss]

Lakenheath had one too. I've never seen a sandwich that way since. (Well... until now.) I've thought about trying to make them that way myself but never got around to it. I loved those meatball sandwiches.

[@Callmestick103]

@@KnotheadRuss It may have been Lakenheath. I was pretty young.

[@michaelcilyk3325]

That's the way I remember meatball subs were made they weren't made slit on the side to bread but the inside of bread was taken out meatball put in sauce in another meatball more sauce and other meatball and then you would stuff the bread back in that's how they were made back in the seventies and that's how my mom used to make them.

[@TheLoyalOfficer]

I've always thought about this and you've pulled it off! Great job!

[@sl8ofhand]

I worked at a sub shop in Lutherville, MD in the 70s. We made a sub this way, in a hollowed out roll. Simple and quick and not as messy to eat.

[@EnigmaR25]

I’m from New York Bronx native born and raised even though I’ve lived in various places my mom would actually got that out. Use the butt and actually make her scrambled eggs and her omelette style and stuff you know scrambled up boom boom boom throw it in there like that, and we will eat it like that so once you said you was gonna do a meatball palm and you held it in your hand I already knew what it was. Love your cooking show by the way, I’m actually thinking of taking up to become a chef as a hobby. I love cooking you guys rock

[@stevegram9000]

Thanks for the cool video. I worked with a Sicilian guy once who did a sandwich like this. If you don't have veal, you can add a little gelatin to the meatball it holds onto its juice better and the meatball is more tender.

[@lizbernie_]

looks amazing!!!! I am always looking for fun recipes to try while I have the summer off. also, love the long form content!

[@droobiedooobiedoo7993]

I've been following out the bread and stuffing since I was 10. My family use to crack jokes about me eating food weird. I had to explain the importantce of my good not falling out of the bread. It's also nice to layer things inside for a sandwich too.

[@brucegibson7665]

Perfect! Great video, always love you approach

[@davidpotts7116]

Something you can do for extra flavor is fry some Italian basil leaves in the leftover oil from the meatballs to stuff into the sandwich. It gives a subtle crunch and a huge burst of freshness to the meal.

[@jeffreyallen2778]

I'm definitely going to try this. I like the tip in the meatball seasoning, adding the eggs first by themselves. I am one of those people that has always added them along with other ingredients.

[@GoMathewVideo]

This channel never disapoints with content!

[@betwixttales]

1:22 - "And I've been feeling lazy for months." 🤣🤣🤣 Love the honesty,

[@user-qi4ff5in9z]

My mom would have absolutely loved this technique to make spaghetti sandwiches. Thanks for bringing back some memories.

[@PawPawKellum]

Born & Raised in New Orleans, LA... Po-Boy central My Mother loved a sloppy roast beef and that started me on the path of hollowing out french bread, as a child. I would use hot dog buns too, in the same way Subway did back when they didn't cut the bread all the way through.

[@marcsenteney3160]

Well done sir! Thank you for sharing this video!

[@joaovitorjoaovitor]

In São Paulo we have something kind of similar, it's called buraco quente (warm hole) and it's basically minced meat in sauce put inside a fresh roll so as to not drip. You can put cheese and stuff, but the basic version is just this non-drippy meaty basic sandwich.

[@mikechoi1577]

That is a Masterpiece!😍

[@AdamStoltz-y4g]

Brother, for such a kick-ass recipe, I am saddened that I limited to giving you only 1 "Like"! Also subbed. Keep up the excellent work!

[@nycshelbygt500]

In Las Vegas there are two pizzerias that make something similar in make combinations. Twisted Pizza - Pizza Cone Amano Pizza - FatBaby

[@ryno583]

I loved this video. Cant wait to have meat ball subs tonight. Honestly made me miss making sandwiches at Jimmy Johns where my cousin had hired me a few years ago and he told me while we were just the two of us in the store and we backed our own bread there too “you see you dont catch your sandwiches in half ok…this is called the knot of the bread. And showed me to make a pocket and damn not a PRIMO restuarant ok but simple! and good! and Ill never make a sandwich the same way again either. Thank you for teaching me how to make a real meat ball and the three meat types! great video great chef!

[@Bedrockbrendan]

Frying meatballs is definitely the way to go. My mom always fried them in a cast iron pan and I was never able to enjoy baked meatballs because the pan fried give them such a wonderful external texture

[@guyfromnj]

I’ve been doing this for years. Hate getting my hands dirty but I love a meatball parm. This works with everything by the way. Sausage and peppers, even breakfast sandwiches. It’s a easier neater way to eat.

[@GreenEyedRogue]

My meatballs for pasta are no bigger than golf balls but for subs I make them baseball sized and then slice them into slabs The bread gets the garlic butter treatment and heavy dusting of parmesan and toasted in the oven. Once the butter melts and the cheese turns golden I add the mozzarella and put it back in for a couple of minutes. Then lay the slabs, sauce and some shaved pepperoncinis

[@DollarStoreGuardian]

Back in the 60s at Disneyland, they had a snack called the ‘Handwhich’ and it was basically this, a cone shaped bread roll with your choice of filling such a meatball, tuna salad, and others. It was made to be eaten with one hand. It was also very very weird. Because it looked like a meat ice cream cone

[@Daoldhead51]

I actually make ours by gutting the bread. Something i learned a long time ago. Great video.

[@thedarknight241]

There’s a local family owned restaurant that makes a drip less meatball sub. It’s made similar to this. One of my favorites.

[@mikesmith2057]

I had a sausage sandwich at a Swiss mountaintop cart where the seller used a drill & bit to take out a perfect sausage-sized hole from a loaf of fresh french bread. Couldn't understand hardware French so never did figure out whether it was his invention or something you could buy, but it sure did make for good (and speedy) sandwiches.

[@roberttucker3194]

This might be blasphemous, but Quiznos (which unfortunately no longer exists in my area) was my favorite meatball sub for the sheer fact that they sliced their meatballs so that they laid flat on the sub and after baked the thin slices made for such an enjoyable bite with no spillage.

[@kaufmanmark]

It’s been called a Meatball Heel for over half a century at Naples Restaurant in Steubenville, Ohio. Everyone in the Upper Ohio Valley knows about it! Fantastic! Also made at Squires Restaurant in Baltimore.

[@James-m7t8u]

GREAT JOB PAL, LOVE YOU'Z CONTENT ❤🎉🎉

[@jackdavis6064]

Still and always the best. Thank you.

[@tonyrobbins6]

There is a small restaurant in Milton, Pa. USA that sells their meatball subs in bread the same way. I don't think they make their meatballs the same but they do use the but of the bread rolls. They will then plug the end with bread for takeouts.

[@LVVMCMLV]

By tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

[@BNavarra1293]

G&R deli in the Bronx sells meatball heros like this

[@KyIeMcCIeIIan]

I find using a hot dog bun and melting sliced cheese over the top to seal in the marinara to be the best way. Hot dog buns are a great BBQ and slaw hack, too! Way less messy than hamburger buns.

[@erikmeyer2323]

I had my first meatball grinder in 1960 at the Arrow Restaurant in Westport Ct. It was made this way. A hollowed out half grinder with 4 or 5 delicious Nona Nistico's Meatballs ( one too many but never enough ). I could barley walk out of the place.

[@jerryczarski5991]

I have been eating this very thing in Baltimore since the 1960's. They also had veal this way. The catchy name was "Veal on the Heel".

[@sm1tty031]

im from LI originally now in TX, we cant get bread like that here.

[@Bobagem1972]

This video came right at the right time for me. I have really been craving a meatball sandwich! I am so going to try it.

[@asdfuogh]

You know how Vietnamese beef stew sometimes can be eaten with French bread instead? I used to dig out the innards of the bread then stuff the stew bits into the bread, dipping it into the soup for every bite. This is definitely the way to go for saucy filled sandwiches!

[@radman3206]

Working with Italian concreters during my university holidays here in Australia, it was not uncommon to see them hollow out a loaf of Italian bread and stuff it with a salami. A long neck beer bottle filled with homemade vino to wash it down with. Didn't affect their ability to work very hard all day in the hot sun. They have my total respect.