As the crisis in Greece deepens, and the country becomes more and more indebted and troubled, I dig deep in the treasure box of the Mediterranean, to uncover and (re)create dishes that build on the flavors of the area, the terroir as the French call it. Greece is in tucked in the middle between Italy and Turkey. the same applies to today’s dish, meat rolls with sudjuk. It is a dish that combines the flavors of the Mediterranean with the ones of Minor Asia. The meat rolls are Mediterranean, the eggplants are in the middle, and the glorious sudjuk is the gem of Minor Asia.
The filling is based on the Sicilian cuisine. Pine kernels, raisins, breadcrumbs, some parsley and coriander. My Greek touch is to add strained yogurt.
The meat can be pork of beef, in this instance I used pork, the cuts that butchers in Greece sell for “Schnitzel”. I cut smoked bacon very thin, added on top of it the filling and roll the meat adding a toothpick so that the ends do not come apart.
Once all the rolls are ready, I give them some color in a big saucepan and then cover them with tomato sauce and cover. After 20 minutes they are ready to serve.
In another pan, I have sliced eggplants simmering in tomato sauce. They are the partners of the rolls.
Finally, the sudjuk is resting on a tomato slice, covered with a yellow cheese, as hard as possible. I grill it for five minutes and it is ready (as the intensity of the grill may vary, the sure sign that it is done is that the cheese has completely melted and the tomato is soft).
Serve the rolls sliced and enjoy with a moderately bodied red wine.
