Meatballs In Tomato Sauce With Cinnamon And Cumin Soutzoukakia Food

MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH CINNAMON AND CUMIN (SOUTZOUKAKIA)

Steps:

• To make the meatballs, put all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large bowl and mix. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 20 to 24 rugby-ball shapes.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the meatballs until golden-brown on all sides, or grill on a griddle pan if you like grill lines on the patties.
• To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a lidded saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the onion and garlic with the cinnamon stick, cumin and sugar until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the red wine and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the tomato purée, passata, salt and pepper and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Add the meatballs and simmer for 20-30 minutes covered until cooked through, adding a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve with rice and green olives.

SOUTZOUKAKIA (GREEK MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• For the meatballs, mix the ground beef, garlic, cumin, white wine, bread (squeeze out the wine and reserve to be used in the sauce) and egg.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Shape into approximately 30 sausage shaped patties, roll in flour and fry in oil until cooked through.
• Remove from pan, set aside on a plate covered with paper towels.
• For the sauce, bring the tomatoes stock and butter to a boil.
• Add the wine and the seasoning and simmer until sauce beginns to thicken.
• When the sauce starts to thicken, add the soutzoukakias and simmer for a further ten minutes.

SOUTZOUKAKIA (GREEK MEATBALLS IN A TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Soak the bread in the wine for about 5 minutes, or until thoroughly softened.
• Then, squeeze out and reserve the excess wine.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the wine soaked bread, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, grated cheese, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix the ingredients until thoroughly blended.
• Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
• Dampen your hands, pinch off small portions of meat mixture, about the quantity of a teaspoon or just over, and shape into approximately 20 oval rolls (looks sort of like an elongated, slightly flattened, meatball).
• Dredge them in flour.
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
• Add the meatballs and fry until browned all over, turning occasionally and allowing time for the meat to cook thoroughly. (alternatively, if you want a 'lighter' recipe, you could just brown in a non-stick pan or bake them in the oven - not as flavourful, but still good).
• Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Strain the oil you fried the meatballs in through a fine sieve into a cooking pan.
• Add all the sauce ingredients, and the reserved wine.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is thick.
• Drop in the meatballs, stir to cover all over with the sauce, and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
• Serve hot with rice, french fries, or mashed potatoes.