Italian Subs With Sausage and Peppers

I push the mostly-cooked onions and pepper to the sides and cook the sausages in the same pan, a heavy cast iron skillet. I cover the pan to speed the process for the sausage. If I want cheese on top (not needed), I prefer provolone. Here in the South the only real problem is the lack of good choices for rolls. I grew up in Philly and every grocery store has good hoagie rolls, and the Italian bakeries have great ones. Sigh.

Boil the sausage for 8-10 mins first. This will allow the filling to cook through, which preserves the juices without bursting the casing. Then you can throw it in a scorching hot pan briefly for browning. Or, just eat it boiled.

Never boil sausage. A light simmer is fine then crisp up on a lightly oiled cast iron or carbon steel pan.

I dunno, can these ever taste as good as the ones you eat standing up at a street fair? In all seriousness the best thing to do is use the hottest, thickest cooking pan that you have, and get that essential char on the veggies.

Add a little red wine or sherry vinegar to the onion and pepper mix. It will balance out all the fat and add an amazing brightness.

Prick the sausages a few times w a fork. That will release enough steam and retain the sausages whole. My mom would add a spoonful of tomato gravy (which was always in the house at all times) to the pan, stir with the delicious juices and the spoon everything onto the roll.

I agree. Cheese isn't necessary. It actually detracts from the sausage and peppers and I love cheese on (almost) everything. Throw mustard on the rolls instead.

Add chopped garlic to the onions.

This recipe needs a tablespoon or so of sherry vinegar at the end. It’s the secret to great sausage and peppers.

Try starting the onions and peppers with the classic capers, lemon, juice and anchovies base. Include garlic too if desirable. It makes a sausage and pepper hoagie that really stands out.

Add a little thick tomato sauce, whatever kind you like, to the onions and peppers during the last few minutes of cooking. Brings it all together.

Several have mentioned "boiling" the sausage before browning. To execute this perfectly, poach the sausages in beer (any beer will do) at a gentle simmer for about five minutes, then do as one reviewer suggested and add them to the same cast iron pan with the onions and peppers.

You can use "veggie" sausage in this "recipe" with excellent results. I just could not give up my favorites when I renounced meat!

Any kind of sausage will work. Just adjust the choice of condiment to suit your taste. I often use big (4-oz.) hot dogs to save time. A split baguette can be used instead of hoagie rolls. That's the whole idea of no-recipe recipes. Be creative. (I prefer home made Ćevapčići topped with ajvar that I make myself.)

great recipe, although I cut sausage into links after cooking it the first time and cooked again to brown them even more. then... the best part, i poured all of the oils into one serving dish and baked it at 375 for an additional 10 minutes just to really soak it all up with flavor. the juice is the best for dunking!