Joey's Meatball Sub
A generous Italian-American meatball sub, loaded with sauce and melted cheese, the sandwich Joey famously guards with his life during a ride-along in Friends.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 55 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Joey spends an entire ride-along episode of Friends fiercely guarding this exact sandwich from a police officer who keeps eyeing it, refusing to share even a single bite no matter how pointedly he's asked.
Loading it generously with sauce and cheese is the whole point, and simmering the meatballs right in the sauce rather than serving it on top afterward is what keeps them juicy enough to be worth guarding.
Part of our 60 famous foods from movies and TV list.
method
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes. Mix with the ground beef, pork, egg, garlic, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and shape into meatballs, about 4cm across.
Heat the oil in a pan, and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
Preheat the broiler. Split the sub rolls, and toast lightly.
Fill each roll with meatballs and plenty of sauce.
Top with sliced mozzarella, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until melted and bubbling.
Serve immediately, while hot, and hold on tight; this one is messy.
chef's tips
- Load the sub generously with sauce; a meatball sub is meant to be a little messy and over-full, which is actually part of why Joey treats his so protectively in the show.
- Simmering the meatballs directly in the sauce, rather than browning them and serving sauce on top, lets them stay juicy and pick up more flavor.
- In Friends, Joey spends an entire ride-along episode fiercely guarding this exact sandwich from a police officer who keeps eyeing it, refusing to share even a bite.
- Toast the sub roll lightly before filling it; an untoasted roll turns soggy fast once the sauce and meatballs go in.