The Spanish counterpart to the more well-known Italian-American meatball sub, this sandwich can be made with beef, pork, or a combination. Meatballs are seasoned with Spanish Manchego cheese, onions, garlic, and parsley and the tomato sauce is flavored with smoky paprika and Spanish wine. We've included a recipe for barra de pan, for those of you who like to bake!
Ingredients:
4 sub-style sandwich rolls (see recipe for barra de pan below)
1 lb pasture-raised ground pork or beef, or a mix of the two
1 small onion, chopped (can sub chives, green onions, or Egyptian walking onions - we have oodles of these in the garden right now...)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped, fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped oregano
1 tsp chopped basil
2 Tbsp grated Manchego + more for topping
2 pasture-raised eggs
26 oz crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Spanish red wine
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
salt and black pepper
Directions:
Combine ground beef/pork, chopped garlic and onions, chopped herbs, grated cheese, and eggs in a small bowl
Form mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs, cover and set aside
Add olive oil to a heavy-bottomed, wide saucepan set over medium-high heat
Add meatballs and gently brown on all sides, remove from pan and set aside
Add wine to the pan, scraping up any browned bits, then add tomato sauce and smoked paprika
Bring to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste and return meatballs to pan
Simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through
Split and toast your barra de pan
Top bread with several meatballs, a stripe of sauce, grated or thinly shaved Manchego cheese and a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley
Barra de Pan
When Isabelle cooks international food, she always searches for recipes in the native language on Google so that she knows she's getting an authentic recipe from the source! It may take some time to translate, but that's part of the fun! Here is a recipe for Barra de Pan from the blog Todos a Comer:
https://www.todosacomer.net/recetas/masas-panes-pizzas/barras-de-pan-de-iban-yarza