“Soutzoukakia” is the Greek name of a very traditional recipe, always present in restaurants all along in Greece. These are long, very aromatic meatballs that are cooked in tomato sauce. They can be accompanied with potatoes or rice, thus resulting in an extremely comforting dish.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg of ground beef
100 gr of bread
1 egg
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Some parsley
Spices and seasonings: 1 measure of ouzo (optional), 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1 of cinnamon, chili flakes (optional), extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
For the tomato sauce:
400 g of crushed tomato
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil
Other spices for the sauce, according to preference: oregano, ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, chili, etc.
The indicated proportions serve 2 to 3 people.
Soutzoukakia: about its ingredients
The meat can be beef or a mixture of beef and pork. The bread can be replaced with a smaller amount of breadcrumbs, and it is common (although not essential) to soak it in milk so that the resulting paste is not too dry. The spices are to taste and preference, there is no absolutely exhaustive recipe. The same applies to ouzo, which provides an additional layer of flavor and aroma, but it can be replaced by another drink such as vodka, or we can simply do without it altogether.
Soutzoukakia and its variants
The soutzoukakia recipe basically consists of forming elongated meatballs, which are usually fried so that they are sealed and preserve their structure. At the same time, the tomato sauce is prepared in a separate pan, to which the meatballs are then transferred, and they are cooked in the sauce over moderate heat for about 20 minutes.
Some people prefer to bake the meatballs with sauce in a tray, which is usually covered to prevent the liquid from evaporating too much and drying out the preparation.
There is also a quite similar Turkish recipe called “Izmir köfte” (“meatballs from the city of Smyrna”), and that is why this recipe is sometimes called “soutzoukakia smyrneika” (“soutzoukakia from Smyrna”). In this case, tomato meatballs are usually baked with pieces of potato and other vegetables (onion, peppers, etc.).
Soutzoukakia Recipe:
Mix the onion, garlic, parsley and bread in a processor. Add the ouzo and a little extra virgin olive oil. Process everything until you have obtained a paste. In a large bowl, mix the minced meat, an egg and the pasta obtained in the previous step. Season with cumin, cinnamon, chili, salt and pepper. Mix until integrated.
Take a handful of the preparation and form an elongated meatball with both palms. Once the process is finished, heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan, and brown the Soutzoukakia on all sides. Reserve them on a plate with cooking paper to absorb excess oil.
Meanwhile, heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Chop and sauté the onion and garlic. Add the tomato paste and mix it with the poached vegetables. Add the crushed tomato, season to taste, and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Then add the meatballs, and if the sauce is very dry, also add a little water. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, eventually turning the Soutzoukakia halfway through cooking.
It can be served in different ways, but my favorite option is to serve it on a bed of rice, so that it is completely covered with the tomato sauce.