Soutzoukakia with Sauce

Name: Soutzoukakia with Sauce
Total time: 7200 s
Yield: Serves 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.1 lbs ground beef (500 grams); 2 slices day-old bread, crusts removed; 2 cloves garlic; 2 large onions; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 cup Mavrodaphne wine (120 ml); 2 eggs; 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon butter; Olive oil; Salt, pepper; 1 pinch sugar; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2.2 lbs tomatoes (1 kilogram); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 bay leaves; 2 onions, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 cup Mavrodaphne wine (120 ml); Olive oil; Salt, pepper; 1 cup hot water (240 ml)

Anna Beni @annabeni

ΛΑΡΙΣΑ

When I was a child, my grandmother always made this sauce all summer long because we had so many tomatoes. She would use flour to thicken it. This sauce stuck in my mind. So I decided to make soutzoukakia with my grandmother’s sauce. The only thing I added was Mavrodaphne wine. I also baked them in the oven, while my grandmother only cooked them in a pan.

Saved

Ingredients

2 hours

Serves 6 servings

For the meatballs
1.1 lbsground beef (500 grams)
2 slicesday-old bread, crusts removed
2 clovesgarlic
2large onions
1 teaspooncumin
1/2 cupMavrodaphne wine (120 ml)
2eggs
1 bunchparsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoonbutter
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 pinchsugar
1 tablespoonvinegar
3 tablespoonsall-purpose flour
For the sauce
2.2 lbstomatoes (1 kilogram)
1 tablespoontomato paste
2bay leaves
2onions, finely chopped
1 teaspooncinnamon
1/2 cupMavrodaphne wine (120 ml)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 cuphot water (240 ml)

Saved

Steps

2 hours

1

In a skillet, heat the butter with a little olive oil and add the cumin. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the finely chopped onion and garlic. When softened, add a pinch of sugar, then after a bit, add 2 tablespoons of Mavrodaphne wine. Let it evaporate, then remove from heat and let cool.
2

In a bowl, soak the bread in the wine until well softened. In another bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Squeeze the bread very well and add it to the bowl. Knead everything together thoroughly for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour while you make the sauce.
3

Grate the tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Set aside. In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and add the chopped onion, sautéing until softened. Add the flour and stir constantly until it turns a light golden color.
4

Add the Mavrodaphne wine and stir until thickened. Then add the tomato mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Add the bay leaves. Pour in 1 cup hot water and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is almost ready.
5

Brush a nonstick baking pan with olive oil. Oil your hands and shape the soutzoukakia into oblong meatballs. Place them in the pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also fry them if you prefer. The sauce should be almost ready. Pour it over the soutzoukakia and cover them well with the sauce. Return to the oven for about 20 minutes.
6

Serve with rice, pasta, egg noodles, French fries, or anything else you like. Enjoy!