Smyrna-Style Soutzoukakia Baked in the Oven

Name: Smyrna-Style Soutzoukakia Baked in the Oven
Total time: 2400 s
Yield: Serves eight
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2.2 lbs ground beef (preferably chuck with a little fat), or use half beef and half pork; 3 slices day-old bread (or about 9 oz/250 grams breadcrumbs, though I prefer bread); 2 eggs; 2 medium onions, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons vinegar; 1 can (about 14 oz/400 grams) diced tomatoes; 1/2 cup olive oil (100 ml); 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 cup water (250 ml); Salt and pepper; 10-15 green olives, cracked (preferably Greek-style, but any green olives will work)

Κώστας Κουμάντος @kostas1955

,Ελλάδα

An old recipe from a 1960s cookbook by Mrs. Chrysa Paradisi. It's listed as a variation on soutzoukakia, but it's simply wonderful. I discovered it by chance years ago, and since then, this is how we always make soutzoukakia. I decided to share it with you so you can try it and maybe change your mind about soutzoukakia!

Κώστας Κουμάντος @kostas1955

Saved

Ingredients

About 30-40 minutes

Serves eight

2.2 lbsground beef (preferably chuck with a little fat), or use half beef and half pork
3 slicesday-old bread (or about 9 oz/250 grams breadcrumbs, though I prefer bread)
2eggs
2medium onions, finely chopped
5garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoonsground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoonsvinegar
For the sauce
1 can(about 14 oz/400 grams) diced tomatoes
1/2 cupolive oil (100 ml)
1/2 tablespoonground cumin
1 teaspoonsugar
1 cupwater (250 ml)
Salt and pepper
10-15green olives, cracked (preferably Greek-style, but any green olives will work)

Saved

Steps

About 30-40 minutes

1

Soak the bread in warm water, then squeeze out the excess water and crumble it into a large bowl. Add the ground meat, eggs, onions, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Mix everything together well by hand.
2

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
3

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, sugar, and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
4

Pour half the sauce into a large baking dish. Take the meat mixture out of the fridge and shape it into oval meatballs (soutzoukakia). Arrange them carefully in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
5

Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs and tuck the olives into the spaces between them.
6

Bake in a convection oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 30 minutes. Then carefully turn the soutzoukakia over and bake for another 30 minutes, until browned on both sides. If the sauce is getting too dry, add a little more water. The sauce should be thick and not too runny at the end.
7

Serve with rice, French fries, or mashed potatoes.