Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Greek Soutzoukakia)

Delicious, packed with Mediterranean flavours and covered in a rich and thick tomato sauce. This is a warming and extra hearty Greek dish, perfect for a cold evening. This traditional soutzoukakia recipe was introduced to the Greek cuisine in the beginning of the 20th century and has its origin from the city of Smyrni or modern day Izmir. The secret ingredient that makes these meatballs (soutzoukakia) unique is nothing else than cumin. Cumin is a very fragrant spice that will soak through the meat and infuse it with its unique aroma, but be careful, use in moderation as it can be a little overpowering.

Meatballs (Soutzoukakia):
28 oz ground beef (800 g)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground cumin (if you are a fan of cumin, try 2-3 tsp.)
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 slices stale bread soaked in red wine and squeezed dry or 1 cup breadcrumbs
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Tomato Sauce:
3 cups tomato juice (passata)
1 onion, grated
1 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. green olives, pitted (optional)

To prepare the soutzoukakia, knead all ingredients together and leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Shape into oblong meatballs and shallow fry gently in oil till golden brown. Alternatively for a lighter dish, bake the soutzoukakia till golden brown.

To prepare the tomato sauce for the soutzoukakia, sauté the onion in olive oil. Add the squashed garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until the onions are tender. Add the wine, the tomato juice, sugar, cumin, tomato paste, the bay leaf and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, until the sauce starts to thicken.

Add the soutzoukakia in the tomato sauce and stir gently, being careful not to brake them. Leave to simmer in low heat for 15 minutes, enabling the meatballs to absorb all the wonderful flavours from the tomato sauce.

Serve the soutzoukakia while still hot with some rice or mashed potatoes and lots of tomato sauce.

Makes 6 servings.