These Eastern spiced meatballs are baked in a luscious tomato sauce served (usually) with rice. Their Greek name is Soutzoukakia and they're so much easier to make then to pronounce.
But if you wish to give it a try it's Su-ju-ka-ki-a!
It's a type of baked dish that can feed a crowd with minimal effort and really flavorful results. Because all you basically do is prepare the tomato sauce (cook on the stovetop for 30') shape the meatball mixture into oval-shaped meatballs, place in a pan and cover with the sauce. Bake for 40-50 minutes and you are ready to serve.
I serve these meatballs in our Taverna and even though I must have made them 100 times I never get bored of making them. In contrary to Moussaka for example or Yemista which require that extra effort.
How To Make Moist & Soft Meatballs
Do you know what's the secret to making super soft, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs? Whether you want to cook them in a sauce, fry them or simply bake them in the oven, there is one little thing you can do, to always end up with the perfectly soft meatballs. And that's as simple as adding a bit of water + breadcrumbs, or water-soaked bread.
Ground meat tends to dry out easily. Unlike a whole piece of meat, a pork chop, for example, ground meat is a piece of meat that's broken down into very small pieces. And the smaller the pieces of the meat, the easier it is to become dry. By adding some water to the ground meat mixture, we incorporate some extra moisture into the meat. But how can you make sure it will keep that moisture while cooking?
That's where the breadcrumbs come into the picture. They tend to absorb and lock the moisture, keeping the mixture nice and soft, no matter how, or how long you cook it. Just make sure you add enough water until the ground meat mixture feels so soft and moist that it is just firm enough to hold some shape. If it feels too firm when you shape it into a ball it probably means you need to incorporate an extra splash of water into the mixture.
Another thing to keep in mind in order to make moist meatballs is to always use fresh ground meat and not frozen. When you unfreeze ground meat it tends to lose most of its juices during the process. But if you absolutely have to use frozen, then unfreeze it slowly in the fridge and not directly using a microwave.
Plus don't throw away the blood that collects at the bottom while unfreezing. These are the precious juices of the meat that give it its flavor. Just knead them in again.
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How To Make A Rich Tomato Sauce For The Meatballs
To make a rich and kind of thick tomato sauce that will actually sit on your meatballs you'll need to use both a generous amount of tomato paste as well as diced tomatoes. In this recipe (since it's winter now) I used canned diced tomatoes but you can always use fresh. If you have a big, ripe and juicy tomato just chop it into small squares and use instead of the canned.
And the next necessary thing for making a rich sauce for the meatballs is some hearty spices and a bit of red wine. There's no rich food without wine (a wise Greek once said). So this sauce is flavored with, red wine, bay leaves, allspice, and cumin.
Since we use plenty of tomato paste there are a few things to keep in mind so the sauce won't end up tasting sourish. For one, that's why we simmer the sauce on the stovetop first, to give it time to release its sourness. For two, add half a teaspoon of sugar to help with this. And third and most important is to use quality tomato paste. Believe me, that can either make up or destroy a dish!
SERVE SOUTZOUKAKIA WITH:
- Either rice, pasta, mashed or fried potatoes. You may try these healthy, Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley or even mint leaves for a hint of freshness.
- In Eastern countries, these types of dishes are served with a scoop of yogurt on top. It adds a nice contrast and is supposed to aid digestion.
- Another Eastern flavor you can add is a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts on top. My personal favorite addition!
Recipe
Meatballs In Tomato Sauce (Soutzoukakia)
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- olive oil
- ½ onion minced
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 5-6 pieces of allspice
- a splash of red wine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 grams / 14 oz canned tomatoes diced
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper
For The Meatballs:
- 800 grams ground beef
- ½ onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons finely ground breadcrumbs or 150 grams (5.3 oz) crustless bread soaked in water
- a handful of fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup water (skip this if using the soaked bread)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
For The Sauce:
- Heat a good splash of olive oil in a cooking pot, over high heat.
- Caramelize the onion and garlic.
- Pour in the wine. Add the allspice and bay leaves. Wait until wine evaporates completely.
- Add the tomato paste, the canned tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add 4 cups of water, the sugar, ground cumin and season with salt and pepper. Simmer partly covered for about 30-40 minutes.
For The Meatballs:
- Meanwhile, start making the meatballs.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs.
- Knead the mixture for 2-3 minutes for everything to incorporate well. It should feel very soft and moist. And just firm enough to hold some shape. Otherwise, you may add another splash of water to it.
- Divide mixture to about 14 parts. Shape each into a round ball and then give it a bit of oval shape. Place in a baking dish or pan that fits the meatballs and is deep enough to include the sauce as well.
- Once you placed all the meatballs in the pan or baking dish, pour the sauce on top all over using a ladle. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. Flipping the meatballs at least once so they cook evenly all over.
- Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes. I added some toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh parsley on top. You can also serve them with some spicy red pepper flakes and a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top.
Nutrition
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One of my Greek favourites. Will definitely be giving it a go.