Greek Soutzoukakia, Juicy Baked Meatballs in Rich Tomato Sauce

By Unicorns in the Kitchen · 75 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Soak the bread in the room-temperature water for a few minutes, then squeeze out any excess water.
2. Put the bread, beef, onion, egg, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix until everything is evenly combined.
3. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into football-shaped meatballs; you should get 8 to 12.
4. Roll each meatball in flour and set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sear the meatballs for about 5 minutes, until golden on all sides. They do not need to be cooked through.
6. In the same pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, cinnamon and water.
7. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens slightly.
8. Add the seared meatballs to the sauce and simmer on medium-low for about 30 minutes.
9. To bake instead, put the meatballs in an oven-safe dish, pour the sauce over them and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes; if the sauce has thickened or dried too much, add 1/2 cup water.

Summarized from Unicorns in the Kitchen's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicOnionEggTomatoBreadTomato pasteGround beefCanned tomato