Soutzoukakia smyrneika — Smyrna meatballs in tomato sauce with cumin

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

For the meatballs:

• 500 g ground beef (or a mixture of beef and pork)
• 2 slices of white bread, soaked in water and squeezed (or 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs)
• 1 small onion, very finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• half a teaspoon ground black pepper
• oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• dried oregano

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground meat with the squeezed bread, the onion, garlic, egg, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, until the mixture becomes homogeneous.
2. Wet your hands with water and form elongated meatballs, about 8–10 cm long.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the meatballs on all sides until they turn golden; remove them and leave them to drain on kitchen paper.
4. In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil for 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, the sugar, the bay leaf, salt, pepper and oregano; let the sauce simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
6. Place the meatballs in the sauce, cover with a lid and simmer for 20–25 minutes on a low heat, until the sauce thickens.
7. Serve warm, with boiled rice, mashed potatoes or fresh bread.

Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4