12 servings
AuthorMyHorioTotal Time2 hrsDifficultyIntermediateSoutzoukakia are football shaped meatballs covered with a tasty tomato sauce. Like every Greek dish, it's the spices that set these apart from other meatballs.
To make Soutzoukakia:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
In a small bowl, soak four slices of whole grain bread, fresh or stale, in some milk (just keep adding milk until the bread is completely saturated).
Break the mixture up with your fingers so it resembles wet, mushy baby food, then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the soutzoukakia ingredients (beef, pork, eggs, olive oil, parsley, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper) into a large bowl.
Add the bread and milk mixture.
Mix everything together with your hands until everything is well incorporated.
Take enough of the meat mixture to fill your palm (about two tablespoons), and shape into a little football. Place them on a baking tray with a bit of space inbetween.
This recipe makes enough for two trays and approximately 42 soutzoukakia, as seen in the photo.
Hint: You can freeze them if you'd like at this point. Simply put the trays in the freezer until the soutzoukakia are frozen, then remove them from the trays and put them in freezer bags to store.
Bake the soutzoukakia until golden brown, or for approximately 25 minutes.
While they are in the oven, start making the tomato sauce.
In a large Dutch oven, sauté two chopped onions in 1/4 cup of olive oil for at least 10 minutes. The longer you let the onions cook, the better the flavor of the sauce.
By the way, many Greeks grate their onions; so feel free to do so if you prefer a smoother sauce.
Add the pressed garlic to the onions and cook for one to two minutes longer, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Now add the tomato puree, tomato paste, broth (or wine), sugar (or honey), cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a gentle simmer, and cover with a lid.
You may need to add more broth, depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce. This is also a good time to taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
Hint: If you have frozen some of the soutzoukakia, you may want to freeze some of the sauce at this point. Just cool down to room temperature before freezing. You can use plastic containers, resealable plastic freezer bags, or freezer-proof glass jars.
Once the soutzoukakia are cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit (just until you can pick them up with your fingers without burning yourself).
Pick up each one individually and with the side of a fork or a spoon, lightly scrape away and discard any fat that may be attached (this often looks similar to cooked egg whites).
Then place the soutzoukakia into the tomato sauce.
Make sure they are all submerged in the sauce.
Let everything gently simmer for just a few minutes, then turn the heat off and keep the lid on.
Serve with rice, orzo, mashed potatoes, or even fried potatoes.
Side dish options are tzatziki and a greek salad.
See more delicious main meals here.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
To make Soutzoukakia:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
In a small bowl, soak four slices of whole grain bread, fresh or stale, in some milk (just keep adding milk until the bread is completely saturated).
Break the mixture up with your fingers so it resembles wet, mushy baby food, then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the soutzoukakia ingredients (beef, pork, eggs, olive oil, parsley, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper) into a large bowl.
Add the bread and milk mixture.
Mix everything together with your hands until everything is well incorporated.
Take enough of the meat mixture to fill your palm (about two tablespoons), and shape into a little football. Place them on a baking tray with a bit of space inbetween.
This recipe makes enough for two trays and approximately 42 soutzoukakia, as seen in the photo.
Hint: You can freeze them if you'd like at this point. Simply put the trays in the freezer until the soutzoukakia are frozen, then remove them from the trays and put them in freezer bags to store.
Bake the soutzoukakia until golden brown, or for approximately 25 minutes.
While they are in the oven, start making the tomato sauce.
In a large Dutch oven, sauté two chopped onions in 1/4 cup of olive oil for at least 10 minutes. The longer you let the onions cook, the better the flavor of the sauce.
By the way, many Greeks grate their onions; so feel free to do so if you prefer a smoother sauce.
Add the pressed garlic to the onions and cook for one to two minutes longer, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Now add the tomato puree, tomato paste, broth (or wine), sugar (or honey), cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a gentle simmer, and cover with a lid.
You may need to add more broth, depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce. This is also a good time to taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
Hint: If you have frozen some of the soutzoukakia, you may want to freeze some of the sauce at this point. Just cool down to room temperature before freezing. You can use plastic containers, resealable plastic freezer bags, or freezer-proof glass jars.
Once the soutzoukakia are cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit (just until you can pick them up with your fingers without burning yourself).
Pick up each one individually and with the side of a fork or a spoon, lightly scrape away and discard any fat that may be attached (this often looks similar to cooked egg whites).
Then place the soutzoukakia into the tomato sauce.
Make sure they are all submerged in the sauce.
Let everything gently simmer for just a few minutes, then turn the heat off and keep the lid on.
Serve with rice, orzo, mashed potatoes, or even fried potatoes.
Side dish options are tzatziki and a greek salad.
See more delicious main meals here.
Enjoy!