Super Donair Sub Recipe

Prepare garlic butter

In a small bowl, combine softened unsalted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, pinch of salt, and pinch of black pepper. Mix until smooth and set aside to let flavors meld.

Split each sub roll lengthwise without cutting all the way through and spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the garlic butter mixture evenly on the cut sides of each roll.

If desired, toast the rolls: place open-faced under a broiler or in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 4–6 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and keep warm.

Make donair-style meat

In a large bowl, combine ground beef and optional ground lamb or pork. Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt (2 tsp), black pepper, sugar, and the 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes or tomato paste. Mix thoroughly but gently until spices are evenly distributed. For best texture, press the mixture into a loaf pan (optional) and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up — this helps slice thinly, but you can also crumble-cook.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. If you used a chilled loaf, remove and slice thinly; otherwise, add the seasoned meat to the hot pan and break up with a spatula into bite-sized pieces. Cook 8–12 minutes until well-browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the same skillet (wipe if necessary), briefly warm pepperoni slices 20–30 seconds per side over medium heat to render a little fat and increase flavor. Remove and set aside.

Make sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, white vinegar, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and slightly thickened. Taste: the sauce should be sweet-tangy. Adjust vinegar or salt to preference. Refrigerate until assembly; sauce will thicken slightly as it chills.

If not done earlier, dice tomatoes and finely dice the onion. Toss tomatoes with a pinch of salt and oregano to draw out flavor.

Assemble each sub: open a toasted roll, layer roughly 1/4 of the cooked donair meat along the bottom, then place 3 sliced pepperoni per sandwich (or distribute evenly), sprinkle about 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella per sub, and scatter about 1/4 cup diced tomatoes and 2 tablespoons diced onion over cheese.

Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of chilled donair sauce over the toppings on each sandwich. If you like extra heat, sprinkle a little crushed red pepper.

Close the sandwich and, if desired, place back in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 4–6 minutes to melt the cheese and warm everything through. Remove, slice in half, and serve immediately.