Soutzoukakia - Greek meatrolls in tomato sauce - is a classic Greek dish that perfectly combines comfort and Mediterranean flavors. These juicy meatballs, seasoned with cumin and parsley, are first briefly fried and then slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce with red wine and aromatic spices. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and oregano gives the sauce a deep, warm flavor that pairs perfectly with rice or Greek orzo. A simple yet refined dish that transports you to the tavernas of Thessaloniki and the sunny kitchens of Crete! Its origins lie in Turkey, which we will explore further in this article.
Soutzoukakia - Greek meatrolls in tomato sauce
Ingredients
For the soutzoukakia - meatrolls
- 400 grams minced meat beef or lamb
- 25 grams breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons parsley freshly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- pepper
- salt
For the tomato sauce
- 500 grams tomatoes
- 100 ml water
- 50 ml red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 clove garlic
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Preparing the minced meat
- Wash the parsley and remove the stalks. Chop the leaves very finely. Keep the stalks for the tomato sauce.
- Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and then chop them finely.
- Now mix the mince with the breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the mince has mixed well, we place it covered in the refrigerator for half an hour to rest.
Making the tomato sauce
- Halve the tomatoes, remove the green stalk and then chop them finely.
- Remove the skin from the onion and then cut it into small pieces.
- We also remove the skin from the garlic and then cut it into small pieces.
- Finely chop the parsley stalks.
- Now heat olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic in it for one to two minutes.
- Next add the herbs: the bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Now extinguish it with the red wine and the water and let it reduce for a while.
- Finally add the parsley stalks and the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Let this simmer gently.
Frying the minced meat rolls
- Remove the minced meat from the refrigerator and roll it into sticks.
- Now roll the sticks of minced meat through the flour.
- Heat neutral oil in a pan and fry the minced meat rolls on all sides on a high heat until they are seared.
- Now let them cook for 15 minutes in the tomato sauce.
- Serve with rice or Orzo, the Greek pasta. You can cook this whilst the soutzoukakia are cooking.
Nutrition
How to make Soutzoukakia?
These Greek meatrolls are very easy to make. Moreover, the different steps flow seamlessly into each other, so there's no need for multitasking to bring everything together on your plate. First, we prepare the meat mixture. While it rests in the fridge, we make the tomato sauce. And while the sauce simmers, we fry the meatballs. Finally, you can cook the rice or orzo while the meatballs finish cooking in the tomato sauce.
Preparing the Meat Mixture
Before mixing the meat, we need to do a little chopping. We start with the fresh parsley - remove the stems and finely chop the leaves. Don't throw away the stems; we'll use them later in the tomato sauce. You can chop them now or later. Also, set aside some finely chopped parsley for garnish at the end.
Next, the garlic. Lightly crush the cloves with the blade of a kitchen knife to easily remove the skin. This also helps release more flavor into the meat mixture. Then, finely chop the peeled garlic cloves. If you want, you can also chop the garlic needed for the tomato sauce at this stage.
Now, we mix the meat. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, cumin, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything well until you have a cohesive dough. Cover and let it rest in the fridge. Meanwhile, you can start making the tomato sauce.
Making the Tomato Sauce
We begin with a bit of chopping again. First, the tomatoes - halve them, remove the green stem attachment, and then chop them into small pieces.
Next, the onion. Remove the ends, cut it in half, and peel off the tough outer skin. Then, finely chop the onion.
If you haven't already chopped the garlic and parsley stems, now is the time to do so.
Now, we can start making the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large pan.
Add the onion and garlic to the warm olive oil and sauté for one to two minutes until fragrant. Then, add the spices: bay leaves, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
Deglaze the mixture with red wine and water, letting it simmer for a few minutes.
Finally, add the parsley stems and chopped tomatoes to the base. Let the sauce gently simmer while we prepare and fry the soutzoukakia.
Shaping and Frying the Meatballs
Now, it's time to take the meat mixture out of the fridge. Divide it into six to eight equal portions and roll them into their typical sausage-like shape. Then, roll the soutzoukakia in flour so they are evenly coated on all sides.
Heat neutral oil in a large pan. Sear the meatrolls over high heat, ensuring they brown evenly. Stay close and turn them frequently to get a golden crust on all sides. Once they are seared, transfer them to the tomato sauce to finish cooking. This keeps them juicy inside while maintaining a crispy exterior.
While the meatballs are simmering, cook the rice or orzo. Serve them with the tomato sauce and soutzoukakia, garnishing with the reserved chopped parsley.
What are soutzoukakia?
The name Soutzoukakia is actually derived from the Turkish word "sucuk," which means sausage in English. This refers to the typical elongated shape in which the minced meat is rolled. The dish originates from Smyrna, now known as Izmir.
Greek refugees from Smyrna brought the dish to Greece in 1922. The original Islamic recipe was Christianized by adding red wine.
As an alternative to ground beef, you can also use ground lamb. Traditionally, the meat rolls are deep-fried, but they can just as easily be pan-fried.
Read more about Soutzoukakia in the following articles:
- Soutzoukakia: the Greek Meatballs packed with history. (BBC).
- Smyrna meatballs - Wikipedia.
- The rich history and cultural significance of Soutzoukakia (Sour sweet bitter).
More surprising.Greek
The Greek cuisine may be less well-known and famous than the Italian, but it has just as much to offer. A distinctive feature of Greek cuisine is the strong influence of Eastern flavors from Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula. Find more delicious Greek recipes in the following articles:
- Greek moussaka.
- Easy and refreshing Greek tzatziki.
- Greek tuna fish starter.
- Greek-style stuffed zucchini.
- Walnut cake with Metaxa.
If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.
toondebacker says
A delicious Greek comfort food dish with Turkish roots.