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Soutzoukakia ( Greek Meatballs)

From the Lovely Kitchen of Home of Cooks

Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Serving: 6 People


Ingredients

For the meatballs: 1 pound lean ground beef 2-3 slices sandwich bread ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 egg 2 cloves of garlic ¼ cup milk 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped (2 tablespoons if using dry mint) ½ teaspoon cumin salt pinch of pepper splash of ouzo all purpose flour for dredging vegetable oil for frying For the sauce: 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon sugar 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes 1 cup water or chicken broth 1 cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves Serve with: Rice Cooking Method

  1. Break up (2-3 day old) sliced bread with your hands. Then, using a mini food processor, chop it into crumbs. Set aside.

  2. Place olive oil, milk, egg, splash of ouzo and garlic into a mini food processor and beat until combined. Then place into a mixing bowl.

  3. Add ground beef, the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and cumin into the mixing bowl (along with egg mixture).

  4. Gently toss mixture with your fingertips until ingredients are evenly mixed.

  5. Shape meatballs into (football) oval shape. In a bowl, add all purpose flour and dredge meatballs.

  6. Place a nonstick pan over medium to high heat. Add vegetable oil and heat for one minute.

  7. Shake off excess flour and add meatballs to the pan. Brown on both sides for five minutes total. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil. They will finish cooking in the sauce. Cook meatballs in batches.

  8. Prepare the sauce: In a pot over medium heat, add olive oil, chopped onion and sugar. Sauté until the onion is caramelized. Add crushed tomatoes and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

  9. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaves and chicken broth. Place meatballs in the pot and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

  10. Serve with rice of your choice.


HELPFUL TIPS

You may use a combination of ground beef and pork. We use ground sirloin. What makes soutzoukakia different from regular meatballs is the unique spice of cumin. I like mine with a small amount of cumin but you may increase cumin to 1.5 teaspoons.

 

Download and print our recipe below!


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