Greek Soutzoukakia are delicious meatballs in a red sauce flavored with cumin. They are a favorite food of almost any Greek person I know. I have not met one that will not have a second round of soutzoukakia when they have the chance.
Soutzoukakia is basically meatballs in tomato sauce with a middle eastern influence. The use of cumin, ouzo, and fresh mint give a distinct fragrance and flavor to these meatballs. I love how tender they are, they literally melt in your mouth and only make you want more.
For crazy dipping in the soutzoukakia sauce make this Greek flatbread-pita.
How to make them
I usually double the recipe and make enough to be able to enjoy leftovers. They go well over buttery mashed potatoes or basmati rice. Add a green and tangy salad and you have the meal of your dreams.
1. In a bowl soak the bread in the milk. Using a colander discard all the milk and press the bread down to remove as much moisture as possible. 2. Add the onion and garlic in a food processor and process until the onion is finely diced.
3. In a large bowl mix the ground meat, bread, olive oil, onion and garlic, egg, cumin, chili flakes, and ouzo. Add the finely chopped mint. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix really well. 4. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into long oval shapes, like the shape of a football. This is the traditional shape of these meatballs.
5. Roll each meatball in the flour, shake off excess, and set them aside on a plate. 6. Add the light olive oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat and let it heat for 1 minute. Add meatballs to the pan a few at a time. Brown on both sides for about 1 minute on each side. When they reach a light brown color, remove the meatball with a slotted spoon and place it on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Set aside until needed.
7. In a large wide pot heat the extra virgin olive oil in medium heat. Add the diced onion. Sauté onion for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon stick, 2 tsp ground cumin, and a pinch or more of chili flakes. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir everything together. Sauté for 1-2 min. 8. Add the tomatoes, add the ½ cup of water, stir well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
9. Increase heat and add the shot of ouzo. Let the alcohol evaporate, about 2 min and reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix tomato sauce really well. 10. Add the meatballs one by one in the sauce. Be gentle so they keep their shape. Cover the pot and simmer in low heat for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Tips and tricks
- If you have no access to ouzo substitute with white wine. If none available or do not want to add any alcohol just omit altogether.
- I love using San Marzanno tomatoes but in the summer I usually switch to fresh. I grated them and depending on how sweet or bitter they are I add 1 tsp of sugar in the sauce while cooking.
- You can substitute the ground beef and pork with ground turkey. If you decide to do so, omit the milk and bread and add ⅔ cup bread crumbs instead in the meatball mix. The ground turkey has a high liquid content so you need the breadcrumbs to absorb it.
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Cumin Meatballs In Red Sauce-Greek Soutzoukakia
Equipment
- A large wide pot
- A medium frying pan
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion finelly diced
- 2 cloves garlic finelly minced
- 0.5 lb ground beef
- 0.5 lb ground pork
- 1 cup white bread torn into very small pieces
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- pinch chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- chopped mint about one handful
- 1 shot ouzo or white wine
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
For frying
- ⅓ cup olive oil I like light olive oil for frying
- ½ cup flour
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 -2 pinch red chili flakes
- ½ cup water
- 28.5 oz plum tomatoes I use 1 large can of Gustarosso San Marzanno tomatoes. I press with my spoon to squash them.
- 1 shot ouzo or white wine (optional)
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- In a bowl soak the bread in the milk. Using a colander discard all the milk and press the bread down to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Add the onion and garlic in a food processor and process until onion is finelly diced.
- In a large bowl mix the ground meat, bread, olive oil, onion and garlic, egg, cumin, chili flakes, and ouzo. Add the finely chopped mint. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix really well.
- Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape in to long oval shapes, like the shape of a football. This is the traditional shape of these meatballs.
- Roll each meatball in the flour, shake off excess and set them aside on a plate.
- Add the light olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add meatballs to the pan a few at a time. Brown on both sides for about 1 minutes each side. When they reach a light brown color, remove meatball with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Set aside until needed.
Make the sauce
- In a large wide pot heat the extra virgin olive oil in medium heat. Add the diced onion. Sauté onion for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon stick, 2 tsp ground cumin and a pinch or more of chili flakes. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, stir everything together. Sauté for 1-2 min.
- Add the tomatoes, add the ½ cup of water, stir well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Increase heat and add the shot of ouzo. Let the alchol evaporate, about 2 min and reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper. Mix tomato sauce really well.
- Add the meatballs one by one in the sauce. Be gentle so they keep their shape. Cover the pot and simmer in low heat for 10 minutes or until he meatballs are cooked through.
Serving suggestion
- Serve 3-4 meatballs with sauce over mashed potatoes or rice with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh mint.
Notes
- I use 1 large can of Gustarosso San Marzanno tomatoes, they are sweet and really tender. I just press down with my spoon to soften them and they become sauce. Of course you can use any diced tomatoes you like. In case you are not using San Marzanno I suggest to add 1 tsp of sugar in the tomato sauce to take some of the tomato acidity.
