Soutzoukakia – Greek Baked Meatballs

30 Days of Greek Cooking: Day 6 of 30

FYI: This recipe calls for red wine (yum!). I try to stick with wines that are from the same region as the dish I’m making. For the red sauce used to make soutzoukakia, I like to use agiorgitiko. If you don’t have any other dry Greek reds on hand or can’t find them at the store, try Italian reds like chianti or sangiovese. When in a pinch, any cab, merlot, or syrah will do. I actually prefer syrahs for all recipes that list red wine as an ingredient.

I made this dish with Greek lemon rice pilaf as a side. A scoop of rice with lemon & dill paired with a bit of Greek tomato sauce & tender meatballs is the perfect combination.

What is Soutzoukakia?

Soutzoukakia (pronounced soot-zoo-KAH-kee-ah) is a dish made of Greek baked meatballs in a traditional red sauce. The meatballs are shaped like rugby balls and the red sauce is made with tomato purée, red wine, and a bit of cinnamon. Although this dish is from Greek cuisine, it actually originated in Turkey. It’s called “Izmir kofte” in Turkish and has been known as “soutzoukakia” since making its way to Greece in the 20th century.

Items you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Cutting board & knife
• Wooden spoons
• Large skillet
• Large baking dish
• Small mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl (filled with room temperature water)
• Large mixing bowl

Soutzoukakia – Greek Baked Meatballs

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• Author: Christina Taylor
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

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Description

Soutzoukakia is a dish made of Greek baked meatballs in a traditional red sauce. The meatballs are shaped like rugby balls and the red sauce is made with tomato purée, red wine, and a bit of cinnamon.

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Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted

1/3 cup milk (see notes*)

2 lbs. lean ground beef

2 medium yellow onions, diced & divided by half

6 garlic cloves, minced & divided by half

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon cinnamon

3/4 cup dry red wine (see notes*)

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups passata

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons organic honey

salt

black pepper

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Instructions

1. Place toasted whole wheat bread in a small bowl and cover it with milk. Once bread has absorbed milk and becomes soft, squeeze the remaining liquid out of the bread and set aside in large mixing bowl. Discard milk.
2. Add ground beef, 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon EVOO, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, salt, & pepper to large mixing bowl. Mix in with bread by hand. Knead thoroughly until combined. Cover mixture and put in refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking dish with EVOO (about 3 tablespoons) and set aside.
4. While oven is heating, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add remaining onion and cook for 4 minutes. Add remaining garlic. Stir continuously for 1 minute until garlic is aromatic. Add red wine and reduce by half. Once wine is reduced, add passata, honey, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and remaining dried oregano, cumin, & cinnamon. Bring sauce to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer sauce for about 15 minutes.
5. While sauce is simmering, take meat mixture out of refrigerator and uncover. Set up your work space with bowl of water and prepared baking dish. Wet hands in bowl of water and scoop meat mixture into hands. Roll meat into balls about the size of a golfball and then continue to roll them out into oblong shapes similar to a rugby ball. Space meatballs in baking dish 1 inch apart. Discard bowl of water once all meatballs are formed. When sauce has a thicker consistency, remove bay leaf and cover each meatball in sauce on the baking dish. Leave remaining sauce in skillet on stove over very low heat to keep warm.
6. Place baking dish in oven on middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes. Check meatballs to make sure the sauce is not burning. If needed, add a small amount of water to the bottom of baking dish. Flip meatballs, add more sauce if needed, and return to oven. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven when time is up. Garnish with remaining chopped fresh parsley. Serve with your favorite side dish and use remaining sauce to smother meatballs or spread around plate to add to your aesthetic.

Notes

water can be used as a substitute for milk if you’re lactose intolerant or don’t wish to use it.

use agiorgitiko to keep it Greek. Chianti or sangiovese work best as substitutes, as they’re also from the Mediterranean region. Read the blog post introduction for other suggestions.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Lunch, Dinner
• Method: Oven Baked
• Cuisine: Greek

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