Souzoukaki in Pita

Souzoukaki in pita was one of the sandwich options offered in our family’s restaurants when I was growing up…along with the traditional gyro, pork souvlaki and chicken souvlaki. Traditionally, souzoukakia are oblong and plump meatballs that have been pre-fried or baked and then left to simmer in a tomato based sauce then served with/over rice, pasta, or french fries…yes, french fries…that serving is my favorite! You can find these at almost every Greek restaurant in Greece. They are different from an Italian or American meatball in that they utilize warm spices, including cumin, cinnamon and, in some regions, allspice. Also, depending on the region, some add onion into the mixture and some do not. I think the onion provides additional moisture so I love using it.

At our restaurant, we used to make these but instead of shaping them into an oblong meatball form we would make a real flat patty with them, a little smaller than the size of the pita bread, and bake them. Once a customer would order the sandwich we would slap that patty on the flat iron to give it some color and then roll it up in pita bread with tomatoes and parsleyed (I think that is a word) onions, and served with a side of tzatziki…oh, soooo good!

Some variations that customers asked for included adding fries and/or feta cheese to it. Any variation is delish and the good thing about these is you can make and cook the patties the evening before and then just heat them on a flat iron pan (or any pan, really) the day you make the sandwich!

You will need:

• 1 pound ground beef (I use lean, just to be healthier, but 80/20 is tastier 🙂 )
• 3 slices white, or light wheat bread, crust removed, presoaked in water and squeezed dry (about 3/4 cup)
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup onion, shredded on grater, optional but recommended
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped and divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (add only if using lean ground beef)
• 6 pieces of pita, homemade or store bought
• 1 large tomato, halved and sliced
• 1/2 small onion, sliced into moon shape
• 3/4 cups of tzatziki, homemade or store bought
• Paprika, for garnish

Steps:

1. Add ground beef to a mixing bowl and distribute the bread by breaking up the crumbs all around the meat.
2. Add the next 7 ingredients (garlic, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil, if using).
3. Mix well to combine, but do not overmix.
4. Make into 6 equal balls and flatten them out onto a greased/sprayed sheet tray to about 6-7 inches roundish shape, spread them as thin as you can to a little smaller than the diameter of your pita bread, cause they will shrink…they don’t need to be perfectly round and can have jagged edges.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
6. Use immediately when done or you can store in refrigerator until ready to use. When ready, heat up a pan and slap a patty on it to warm, then center it onto a pita bread, add tomatoes, onions/parsley and a couple heaping tablespoons of tzatziki. Sprinkle with paprika and roll it up and enjoys

Kali Orexi!