Soutzoukakia (meatballs cooked in tomato sauce, Smyrna style)
Soutzoukakia (meatballs cooked in tomato sauce, Smyrna style)
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Soutzoukakia (meatballs cooked in tomato sauce, Smyrna style)
Υλικά
For the Meatballs
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) ground beef
- 2 slices day-old bread
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) red wine
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour, for coating
- Olive oil, for frying
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2-3 whole allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Εκτέλεση
For the Meatballs
Soak the bread in the red wine until softened. Squeeze it well and reserve the soaking wine for the sauce.
Place the ground beef, soaked bread, onion, garlic, egg, cumin, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Knead the mixture thoroughly for 5-6 minutes, until smooth and well combined.
Cover the mixture and refrigerate for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
Shape the mixture into oval meatballs (about 2 oz/60 g each). Lightly coat them with flour and gently shake off any excess.
Heat enough olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until nicely browned on all sides.
Transfer the meatballs to a plate and discard most of the oil from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
For the Tomato Sauce
Using the same skillet, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, allowing it to caramelize slightly and lose its raw acidity.
Pour in the reserved wine from soaking the bread. Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the chopped tomatoes, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the skillet and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until they are fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Serve the Smyrna-Style Meatballs hot.
Chilling the meat mixture for at least 2 hours is essential, as it allows the spices and flavors to fully blend together.
The meatballs do not need to be cooked all the way through during frying, as they will finish cooking in the tomato sauce while remaining tender and juicy.
Smyrna-Style Meatballs are traditionally served with creamy mashed potatoes.
