When you visit a sub shop or pizza place, something you’ll always see on the menu is a meatball sub. This tasty and comforting sandwich is the quintessential Italian-American food and has been beloved for as long as it has existed. To trace the origins of this American pizzeria favorite, we have to go back to Italy and then come to America with our Italian ancestors. Meatballs are essential to Italian cuisine, and we’ve made them our own here in America.
Everyone enjoys a good meatball sub from their favorite sub shop. Let’s trace the origins of this classic sandwich.
Classic Italian Meatballs
Nearly every country and culture has meatballs, but Italian meatballs are the most common variety here in America. “Polpette,” as they are known in Italy, have been a staple of Italian cuisine for centuries. The size, seasonings, and other ingredients vary from region to region, but nearly all involve ground meat—usually a combination of beef and pork—held together by breadcrumbs and eggs. They can be baked or fried before being added to pasta or other dishes.
Italian-American Meatballs
When Italian immigrants came to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, they brought their traditional recipes with them. Once in America, they adapted their recipes to fit the ingredients they could get. Back in Italy, meatballs are much smaller than the American version. Beef and pork were cheaper and easier to come by in America, so Italian immigrants made their meatballs bigger. Soon, that became the norm, and the typical meatball size became what we still use today.
Put It on Some Bread
Italian immigrants lived near other immigrant communities, and they started to adopt some of their traditional foods. One of these foods was the French baguette. Cut down the side, this bread became the perfect basis for a sandwich to take and eat on the go. We don’t know who was the first person to put meatballs on bread, but it soon took off and became a staple of sandwich shops and delis everywhere.
Enjoy a Sub Shop Favorite at Brickhouse Pizza
At Brickhouse Pizza North, we have all your favorites in one place. No matter where you’re craving for dinner tonight, we’ve got it at your neighborhood pizza and sub shop.
