[Eddie C.]

HOMEMADE ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

· 28 or 35 OUNCE WHOLE PEELED PLUM TOMATOES (Slightly Blended)
· ½ ONION CHOPPED
· 2 CLOVES FRESH GARLIC CHOPPED
· 2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY
· 1 TABLESPOON OREGANO
· 1 TABLESPOON BASIL
· 1 TABLESPOON SUGAR
· 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
· 1 TEASPOON SALT
· ½ TEASPOON GROUND PEPPER
· 1 TABLESPOON TOMATO PASTE


IN LARGE SAUCE/STOCK POT:
SAUTE ONIONS IN OLIVE OIL TILL TRANSLUCENT/CLEAR, THEN ADD CHOPPED GARLIC AND COOK TILL LIGHTLY GOLDEN BROWN.
THEN ADD BLENDED PLUM TOMATOES AND BRING TO BOIL, THEN TURN DOWN TO HEAVY SIMMER/SLIGHT RIPPLE.
ADD TOMATO PASTE, OREGANO, PARSLEY, BASIL, SUGAR, SALT AND PEPPER. LET COOK FOR ½ HOUR AT STEADY RIPPLING BOIL.
AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN ADD YOUR COOKED/BROWNED-OFF MEATBALLS, SAUSAGE, PORK CHOPS, SHORT RIBS OR GROUND BEEF TO IT TO MAKE YOUR MEAT SAUCE. COOK AT A STEADY LIGHT SIMMER FOR ANOTHER 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR LONGER TILL DONE.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY (1) ONE QUART WITHOUT ADDED MEAT.

SPECIAL NOTE: ABOVE LIST OF INGREDIENTS IS JUST A STANDARD TO FOLLOW AND WILL BE NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED TO THE AMOUNT YOUR WANTING TO MAKE OR IS NEEDED FOR WHATEVER AMOUNT OR FOR WHATEVER AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOUR ARE COOKING FOR.

BON APPETITO MY FRIENDS!

[lethal tupperwa]

the red pepper flakes.


I also like to add a little more basil fresh or dried at the end of cooking. Jim

[Eddie C.]

Originally posted by lethal tupperwa
the red pepper flakes.


I also like to add a little more basil fresh or dried at the end of cooking. Jim

Sounds good Jim. We are always adjusting things to tastes. Watch Emeril or any cook, they hardly ever measure anything. Plus my wife is Irish and doesn't go in for the spices like we do. That's why it's a bit generic and everyone has to adjust it to their liking. Don't be afraid to add or subtract something from the recipe. People have been doing exactly that, since the beginning of time.

[allanc]

Originally posted by Eddie C.
Sounds good Jim. We are always adjusting things to tastes. Watch Emeril or any cook, they hardly ever measure anything. Plus my wife is Irish and doesn't go in for the spices like we do. That's why it's a bit generic and everyone has to adjust it to their liking. Don't be afraid to add or subtract something from the recipe. People have been doing exactly that, since the beginning of time.

Got to agree with you Eddie. For me, a recipe is just a guide. I look at a recipe and the first thing I think about is how to improve it.

Edited to add:

The above statement doesn't really apply to baking. The proportion of ingredients is critical in baking cakes and such.

[lethal tupperwa]

My in-laws could come to dinner.

The father-in-law thought F.B.I. meant

Full Blooded Italian.

On the hot pepper flakes not a lot 2 or 3 shakes just enough to hit one now and then.

[Zak3056]

Eddie,

No red wine?

[MarkCO]

Mine is pretty close to that, but I add a 1/2 cup dark red wine and a small can of tomato paste. The sugar is brown sugar and I add my own homemade Italian venison sausage. I don't use the red pepper flakes, but the Sirachi (sp?) Chili paste you can buy in the vietnamese markets. Over homaemade wide noodles...As my son says "Nummy nummy nummy!"

[Eddie C.]

I like a little more tomato paste myself. Also I will at times put red wine in, this also cuts the acidity. My brother and I thought we'd tell people here to add a bit of sugar which will also accomplish the same goal of cutting the acidity. I have heard of some people (usually non-Italians) that add orange juice for the same reason. I'll stick to vino and sugar. Thanks!

[TEAK]

i usually use about the same base if im making a sauce. if its going to be a meat sauce i will brown the onions, garlic and meat, usually a ground beef and sausage mix. when that is done i will deglaze the bottom of the pot with some redwine. get all the good stuff up off the bottom of the pan then make the sauce as you normaly would. if im going to add sugar i usually try to use brown like was mentioned by mark.
eddie i have had sauce where someone tried the oj thing, i was living in florida everybody has tried adding oj to something to make it better there. it was... well ill just say this, it was interesting to say the least. its not that it was that bad but it was just different what what i was raised on.

[MrsKitty]

I am bumping a few of these that I don't want to see get purged

[Trumpet]

How do you figure red wine, vinegar, or OJ will REDUCE acidity? All three are quite acidic.

Sirachi...Hmmmmmm I love the stuff, never thought to put it in sauce though. I may have to do some experimenting.


Rich

[pizzaaguy]

Originally posted by Eddie C.
I have heard of some people (usually non-Italians) that add orange juice for the same reason.

;P BLASPHEMY!;P

[Mister Joshua]

Alton Brown's "Baked Tomato sauce" is the best homemade tomato sauce I have ever tried.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._20175,00.html


BTW... de-seed your canned tomatoes to reduced the sharp acidity and bitterness.

[nickg]

here's is my response to a prior thread about home made sauce (and meatballs) that i had posted before:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"quote:Originally posted by moeman

If meat is used it must be browned a lot first. Chuck cubed in small pieces with a couple of Italian sausages (meat out of the sausage case) makes a good combo."



quite the contrary, i never brown or pre-cook my meatballs. that's why many times they come out hard.

i use breadcrumbs and an egg along with a little romano cheese in my meatballs (along with my regular spices). i roll 'em up and then cook them IN ALONG WITH THE SAUCE. i do NOT cook them up ahead. they just simmer in and with the sauce for about 3-4 hours on SIMMER. that means very very low!!! too many people crank the heat up and try to cook sauce too fast and wonder why it sucks!! cook it long, slow, and low.

and i always use a good sized pinch of sugar in the sauce to take any bitter edge off of it from the garlic or oregano and cut the acidity of the tomato sauce & paste.

and don't be afraid to season to taste. once again too many people fail to season properly and wonder why their dishes don't taste any different than styrofoam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

- a little EVOO in the pan just to get the garlic going -
- garlic (just lightly color it. don't BROWN it) -
- oregano -
- basil -
- rosemary -
- salt -
- pepper -
- garlic powder -
(i usually like to get all the spices going with the oil and garlic to bring out the flavors)
- 3 small cans of tomato paste -
- 1 large can of tomato sauce -
- 5-6 cups of water (I usually go with 5 because you can always add more if it's too thick but if it's too thin you're screwed. and i HATE thin watery sauce)-
- then add the meatballs as i described above -
- good pinch of sugar -
- add a little romano cheese -
- bring it to temperature for a short time and then turn the heat DOWN to SIMMER -
- 3-4 hours cooking time -
- after about the half way point check for reseasoning and see if you need to add anything -

[Garweh]

One excellent addition to the above recipe would be to caramelize the tomato paste. By sauteeing the tomato paste in the oil, the "maillard" reaction occurs in which the sugars caramelize. The tomato paste should be sauteed until it turns a mahogany color. This will add sweetness to the sauce and also reduce the acidity. I aso usually caramelize my chopped onions and carrots (when I use them).

[Thru & Thru]

;T Carmelize, yes - Sugar, No! My Nana would holler if she heard you were gonna put sugar in the Sugo (Sauce).....;g If you want it sweeter than carmelized, a little red wine, or a little basil will do the trick -

[nickg]

Originally posted by Garweh
One excellent addition to the above recipe would be to caramelize the tomato paste. By sauteeing the tomato paste in the oil, the "maillard" reaction occurs in which the sugars caramelize. The tomato paste should be sauteed until it turns a mahogany color. This will add sweetness to the sauce and also reduce the acidity.

oh yeah, i ALWAYS get the tomato paste goin' with the garlic and spices BEFORE i add the tomato sauce. then i get that goin' a little before i add my water.

and that's why i add a good pinch of sugar to cut the acidity as well.

[pluvo]

My secret ingredient is curry powder. Drives folks nuts trying to figure it out. ;f

***
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup red wine
4 tablespoons red curry powder
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
8-10 basil leaves

In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery, carrots and Italian seasoning, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add to crock pot along with tomatoes, red wine, curry powder and bay leaves and simmer on low heat for a few hours. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. Remove from heat and add basil leaves, torn by hand.

For a smooth sauce, you can puree in a food processor in batches. I prefer it 'chunky' for a more rustic dish.
***

As for the sriracha sauce, Huy Fong 'Rooster' sauce is my weapon of choice.



It goes great on pretty much everything and doesn't alter the taste like some vinegar based sauces such as Tabasco. I put it on pizza and pasta all the time. Makes some mighty fierce hot wings too.