Soutzoukakia

650 grams of minced beef, passed through the machine twice100 grams of bread crumbs soaked in red wine and squeezed2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushedHalf a teaspoon of ground cumin2 tablespoons of olive oilSalt and pepperFlour and 1 cup of olive oil for fryingSauce:½ kilo of grated tomatoes or 500 grams of crushed tomatoes1 tablespoon of butter

½ kilogram tomatoes grated or 500g pack crushed tomatoes1 tablespoon butter

Knead all the ingredients thoroughly, as the mixture will shrink during cooking. Shape the soutzoukakia into small, elongated cylinders. Lightly roll each one in flour, then fry them in hot oil until they are evenly golden brown. Remove the fried soutzoukakia from the pan and set them aside on a platter.Using the same oil, add the tomatoes and let them simmer over low heat for about an hour. Return the soutzoukakia to the pan and cook for another 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken beautifully. Finally, add the butter and let it melt into the sauce before serving.

Serve with French fries, rice or even better, mashed potato to soak up all the lovely sauce!