Sausage Sandwiches with Marinara and Mozzarella

Why This Recipe Works

Italian pork sausages are deeply seasoned and flavorful, affordable, and versatile. We wanted links with an appealing brown exterior while maintaining a moist and juicy interior. Many recipes call for just browning sausages in a pan until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, often leading to leathery, overcooked links. Others require searing first and then adding water to steam the sausages until they are thoroughly cooked. While the latter recipes are somewhat improved, much of the savory browning gets washed away. The secret, it turned out, was gently steaming and searing the sausages simultaneously, without adding water. Since sausages contain a lot of natural moisture, the trick was to harness that liquid as a steaming medium by starting the links in a cold skillet with a bit of olive oil and cooking them covered over medium heat (opening the lid to turn the sausages every couple minutes). This method resulted in nicely browned sausages that were tender and juicy within, and it had the added benefit (thanks to the covered cooking) of reducing messy stovetop splatter. These well-browned, tender, juicy sausages were perfect for sandwiches. For a familiar meatball-sub vibe, we paired the sausages with a sweet, bright marinara sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese that will find you happy to make such a delicious mess.