Soutzoukakia Smyrneika

Serves: 8
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Soutzoukakia (meat balls):
1 kg beef ground meat
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or half a loaf of stale bread soaked without the crust in red wine
3 eggs
1 tbsp fresh butter
2 onions chopped
150ml red wine
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp Greek virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Flour for dredging
Olive oil for frying
Butter for frying

Tomato sauce:
500gr. ripe tomatoes only the flesh
1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 big red onion
2 garlic cloves
150 ml. Red wine
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh butter
2 tsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 all spice cloves
1 bay leaf
Greek virgin olive
salt
pepper


DIRECTIONS

For the Soutzoukakia:
Soak the bread in the wine for about 5 minutes, or until thoroughly softened. Then, squeeze out and reserve the excess wine.

In a frying pan put ½ Tbsp butter with a touch of olive oil and add the cumin. Leave on low heat for 2 minutes until toreveal its scent. Mash the garlic in a mortar (or food processor) with a pinch of salt and add in the pan with the chopped onion. When the onions become translucent add a pinch of sugar and 2 tablespoons of red wine (from the one we soaked the bread in). Turn off the heat and leave for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. 

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the wine soaked bread and the rest of the ingredients. Knead the mixture well for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 40 minutes to allow all flavours to infuse. In the meantime you can prepare the sauce.

For the Sauce:
Heat up your oil with the butter on medium heat in a large pot and add the chopped onions and garlic. Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes until they become translucent.

Add the red wine and let it cook for another 5 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add all your spices except from the sugar and stir for 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, drop the heat down to low and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for about 30 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the cinnamon stick and add the sugar. Taste if you like more salt or pepper.

While your sauce is getting ready lets finish the Soutzoukakia.

Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and pinch off portions of the meat mixture and shape into oblong patties. Dredge them in flour and set aside on a baking sheet.

Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add about 1/2 inch olive oil. When oil shimmers, add the soutzoukakia in a single layer (aprox 7- 8 pieces per time). Brown on one side, then turn and brown the other. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Once you have finished with all your soutzoukakia add them to your sauce mixture and let them cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes. Remove the Bay leaf and serve them hot with rice, mash potatoes or French fries.

Notes:
When the soutzoukakia are in the tomato sauce and you want to stir them be careful not to break them.