ROASTED PEPPER AND TOMATO GRINDER aka SHARON’S ‘MEATBALL’ SUB

ROASTED PEPPER AND TOMATO GRINDER aka SHARON’S “MEATBALL” SUB!

Has the taste, feel and look of a meatball grinder. It also eats like one! This recipe is an adjunct to SWEET RED ROASTED PEPPER SPREAD that can be found in the starter/appetizer section. We’ll be using it on these grinders. When you find the time to make the spread, don’t forget to make these grinders!

Makes 2 grinders

2 soft sub rolls, all supermarkets carry them, opened and very lightly broiled

jar of Sharon’s SWEET RED ROASTED PEPPER SPREAD

2-3 T. olive oil

4, ½ inch thick slices fresh tomato (use firm, light tomatoes, the kind you usually bring home from market to ripen in a few days

2 lg. pieces sweet red roasted pepper (lg. enough to fit the roll, or 4 pieces, but not a lot of little ones)

panko crumbs, placed in bowl

coconut milk, placed in bowl

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip tomato slices, one at a time, in coconut milk, pressing milk into both sides.

Then place tomato in the crumbs. Press, lift and turn, pressing crumbs into both sides of the tomato.

Place in hot skillet. Wait till pan smokes and tomatoes crisp to a brown color on bottom side. Flip, lightly salt, turn heat to low and cook 5 minutes to cook the tomato through, then raise heat to high and crisp on that side. Transfer to plate

Add more oil to the skillet and repeat process with roasted peppers. Because the peppers are already pre-cooked, they won’t take 5 minutes to cook through. Just be sure you crisp both sides. Transfer to plate.

Broil grinder rolls. Spread one half of each grinder roll generously with the roasted pepper spread, over the entire broiled surface. Spread less generously on the second half, mostly down the middle.

Spread 2 fried tomatoes on one half of each grinder, then place the fried, roasted peppers on the second halves. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, close and serve whole.

Notes: The perfect ‘meatball’ grinder. Easy, cheap and best of all satisfying. Don’t use regular breadcrumbs, they won’t work. We’re not using egg here, so we need a crisp crumb.