Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions

I've had these subs bookmarked for a while now. Every time I try to run them by Joel, he makes a face and says something about how he isn't really a fan of meatball subs. However, a few weeks ago, I made meatballs to go with the spaghetti that we had for dinner, and he really enjoyed them. So this week, while I was planning our menu, I opened about 10 recipes, including this one, and had Joel pare them down. As soon as he saw these, he said "I definitely want the Smitten Kitchen subs!" For some reason, if he sees that the recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, he's all over it. I can't say I blame him. Everything Deb makes looks awesome, and anything I've ever tried from her blog is delicious! I can't wait until October when her cookbook comes out! Anyway, about these subs…the meatballs are the best I've ever had! They are soft, but incredibly flavorful. They were delicious in a sub, but would have been perfect on top of a pile of spaghetti, too!

For the Meatballs:
4 Sub Rolls
2 pounds Ground Meat (I used meatloaf mix)
2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
3/4 teaspoon Salt
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Egg
Olive Oil
4 cups Prepared Marinara Sauce (I used a jar)

Split the rolls and scoop out some of the insides to create a channel for the meatballs to rest in. Grind the bread you pulled out from the roll in the food processor to get about 1 1/3 cups of fresh breadcrumbs. Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl with  3/4 cups of warm water and all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil and sauce (and sub rolls). Combine with a fork (or your hands), until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a tray. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan with a lid. Brown the meatballs in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Be gentle, as these meatballs are soft. Transfer the meatballs to a paper-towel lined tray and continue with the remaining meatballs until they are all browned. Discard the oil and heat the marinara sauce in the sauté pan. Add the meatballs, cover, and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. 

For the Onions:
2 Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and  sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook until they are tender, sweet, and a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

For the Sub Assembly:
Arrange meatballs with sauce inside the hollowed-out roll(s). Drape the caramelized onions over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese (I used Gruyere). Place subs under a broiler to melt the cheese. 

Cocoa Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to the lovely blog, Lynsey Lou's. After reading through Lynsey's entire blog, I had bookmarked a whole bunch of recipes that I wanted to try. And, as she kept updating, I kept bookmarking! Just about every single recipe on her blog looks like something I would make, or something I have made. I had to laugh because we both posted a recipe for Chiles Rellenos right around the same time as each other, which confirmed the fact that she and I seem to have similar tastes when it comes to food! The recipe I ultimately chose was this one for pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is not something I get to have often, because of all the foods Joel does eat, pork is one he is not a huge fan of. So, when I made this dish, he made himself a piece of salmon, and then we shared our side dishes of Japanese sweet potato and roasted broccoli. I have to say, I was very impressed with this spice rub! I was a little afraid that it might be very sweet from the cocoa nibs and cocoa powder, but contrary to that belief, it was just the opposite! The other spices, like the cumin and allspice, really shone through, and the cocoa gave the flavor balance. Joel made me try a bite of his salmon (which was pretty good), and in turn, I made him take a taste of my pork. I was pleased when he said that he liked it! I'm not expecting him to dive right in and have pork for dinner anytime soon, but that's fine, because for now, I get to eat the leftovers! Thanks for sharing, Lynsey! I had a great time getting to "know" you through your blog!!

2 tablespoons Cocoa Nibs
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 1/2 pounds Pork Tenderloin
2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Place the cocoa nibs in a spice grinder, or use a mortar and pestle, and grind until broken into smaller pieces. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the pork and oil, in a bowl and mix together.  Trim off any fat from the pork, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly drizzle oil over the pork and coat with a generous amount of the rub. In an oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to a 450 degree preheated oven and bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Spiced Sirloin Roast

I've never made any sort of roast because I've never been a fan. I think mostly because whenever I had it growing up, the meat was cooked past the point of what I preferred. So for Valentine's Day, I decided to give cooking my own roast a shot. I went to the butcher and got a beautiful piece of sirloin and used this recipe that I found from An Edible Mosaic. The marinade for this roast smelled delicious, and even though I managed to cook the roast a little past my preferred medium-rare state, it turned out very good. My favorite part may have actually been the pan sauce, which I could have licked out of a bowl! All in all, I consider my first roast to be a success, and this recipe is definitely a keeper!

1 pound Boneless Beef Sirloin Roast
2 tablespoons Sesame Oil, divided
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
1 Garlic Clove, grated on a microplane
1/4 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Hot Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
3/4 cup Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Flour
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Marinade the roast at least 30 minutes before you want to cook it. To do so, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, sweet paprika, hot paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Put the roast and the marinade in a zip-top plastic bag and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, rotating the bag every so often.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. Discard the marinade. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to an oven-safe skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the roast and sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to the oven in the same frying pan you seared it in, and cook until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Medium doneness took about 50 minutes and registered 140 on a digital food thermometer. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Be sure to slice across the grain.

To make the pan sauce, mix together the butter and flour in a small bowl and set aside. Put the pan that you cooked the beef in over medium heat. Add the beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the butter/flour mixture and cook until the sauce is reduced by about 2/3. Strain the sauce if desired (I didn't), then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce drizzled over the beef.