Soutsoukakia

Recipe by Relish

(Meatballs with Roasted Garlic, Olives and Tomato) Serve these meatballs with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients

Meatballs:: 1/2pound ground pork; 1/2pound ground lamb; 1/4pound ground beef; 1-- onion chopped; 4cloves garlic, chopped; 6cloves garlic, roasted and mashed; 2tablespoons chopped fresh dill; 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1/2teaspoon salt; -- Coarsely ground black pepper; 1tablespoon Dijon mustard; 8slices white bread, crusts removed; 1/2cup 2% reduced-fat milk; 1/2cup all-purpose flour; 3tablespoons olive oil
Sauce:: 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 3cloves garlic, sliced; 1large onion. chopped; 1/2cup red wine; 2cups reduced-sodium beef broth; 2cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1can (28-ounce) Italian plum tomatoes, undrained; 4whole bay leaves; 1/2cup tsakistes or best-quality green olives, pitted and halved; 1/2cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved; -- Fresh parsley, dill and mint, chopped (optional); 2teaspoons dried oregano

To prepare meatballs, combine pork and next 10 ingredients (pork though mustard) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, soak bread in milk until saturated. Remove bread from milk, squeezing to drain off extra milk. Add bread and excess milk to meat mixture; mix well. Shape mixture into 24 (golf ball size) meatballs. Dredge in flour.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add meatballs; cook until brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add oil, sliced garlic and onions to pan; sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine; stir to loosen brown bits. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broths and tomatoes. Stir, breaking up tomatoes a bit. Add bay leaf. Simmer 30 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce. Cook 1 hour.
Just before serving, add olives, fresh herbs, if desired, and oregano. Stir to combine.

Recipe by Chef Michael Psilakis.