Soutzoukakia [ Meat Balls in tomato sauce ]

Ingredients

•     1 cup olive oil
•     Pepper
•     1 egg
•     Sugar
•     1 onion (finely chopped or blended)
•     4 large tomatoes (finely chopped or blended)
•     All purpose flour
•     700gr (1.5 lb) minced beef
•     Parsley (chopped)
•     1 slice of water soaked bread
•     Salt
•     3 cloves of garlic

Directions

1. In bowl mix together, with your hands, the minced meat, soaked bread, egg yolk, 2 crushed garlic cloves, chopped onions, salt, pepper and parsley.
2. Form meatballs from the mix (about the size of ping pong balls).
3. Flour the meatballs and fry them in a preheated frying pan filled with 1 cup oilive oil.
4. Remove the meatballs from the frying pan, draining the oil for each one, and place them on a paper towel.
5. In the frying pan add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of sugar and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, adding a bit of salt and pepper while its cooking.
6. Add the meatballs in the tomatoe sauce and cook over a medium heat for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Serve warm.

Note : Can be served with rice, small pasta or mashed potatoes.

Source: Greekrecipes.gr

Minced Meat Rissoles with Cummin - (Soutzoukakia Smirneika)

NOTES
This meal originates from the city of Smyrni in the coast of Asia Minor.
Greek : Σουντζουκάκια σμυρνέικα
Step by step demonstration of recipe included HERE.
Serves / Yields : 4 persons
Season:All season

INGREDIENTS

• 3 thick slices of bread, soaked in water
• 500 grams finely minced beef
• 1 egg
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 teaspoons cummin
• salt and pepper
• 1 glass white wine
• 30 gr. flour, for frying
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoones olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tomato puree or 1200 grams can tomatoes, liquidized roughly
• chopped parsley, to garnish

METHOD

Soak the bread in water for 10 minutes and discard the crust. Squeeze the water from the bread and mix with the mince, egg, garlic, cummin, salt and pepper and 3 tablespoons of the wine. (The best results for mixing are always achieved by using your hands.) When properly mixed make long thin shapes, like fat cigars, about the length of your finger (around 15 of them), roll them in the flour and fry in the vegetable oil on medium heat, making sure that they are crisp all over.
In the meantime, put the olive oil in a saucepan and, when it is warm, add the tomatoes and the rest of the wine and cook slowly for 5 minutes, stirring and making sure it does not stick. Add the soutzoukakia as they come out of the frying pan, roll them in the torrato sauce, add a little more water if needed, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
With its rich sauce it can be served with plain white rice, or mashed potatoes as a main dish. It can also be a very good starter for a dinner party. 

Serves 4 persons as a main course!
Serves 7 persons as a starter, allowing 2 per person! 

Source: Greek-recipe.com