the quest for the perfect tomato sauce

erm I mean the search stops here.

yo been thinkin 'bout bolognese recently. when i make tomato sauce my protocol is quite similar to stevie d's there except on a smaller scale. follow this recipe jordan and you will be happy with the results.

i made an impromptu sauce last night -- not that recipe cuz i didn't have time/all the ingredients -- and it went p well. maybe a bit too acidic & thin for my taste tho

well dude when it comes to good tomato sauce there is no substitute for time. probably put it back on the stove and cook it down a little if it was too thick. plus if you did it right it's always better the next day.

http://www.backyardgardener.com/seeds/images/large/475.jpg
heard these pomodoro tomatoes make some bom ass sauce (it's a roma hybrid of some sort)
saw that they have these kind of seeds there in the italian deli where i gets me sopresata

er thick i meant thin

see the thing is, i tried to let it cook down, but then i felt like i was losing too much liquid and it was gonna end up too chutney-like -- idk

The key is to let it simmer on low w/ plenty of liquid for quite awhile (until the tomatoes/meats have broken down), then quickly reduce it over higher heat to thicken. Or, add some tomato paste. Or both. The right amount of oil is pretty key too, it emulsifies with the reduced liquid and gives the sauce more body. If you're making a meat sauce like bolognese, using some demiglace does the same.

For a more classic bolognese, add milk or cream once you have browned the meat. Simmer that until the liquid has evaporated and then continue with the sauce.

I adore the classic Bolognese but it takes HOURS to simmer the water out of the meat, then simmer the milk off, then simmer the wine off, THEN finish the sauce and let it...you guessed it: simmer.

I use ketchup instead of sugar for (in theory) added tomatoey goodness. Also tomato puree.

Sometimes you just want a fresh bright tomato taste that isn't too acidic, you know? Keep the oregano away, keep all the smokiness away, I'm just looking for tang! Pep! I'm gonna try that one with lemon zest soon.

I follow a bittman recipe, you fry up some shallots/onions, add a can of plum tomatoes (whole), cook it down, add some olive oil, salt and pepper maybe. simple is best

also he recommends that unless your tomatoes are "good enough to eat raw like an apple" you're better off using canned stuff

also chunky, reduced tomato sauces are the best - the greatest spaghetti I've ever had in my life was served to me in this small cottage on the side of a mountain cooked for us by an italian missionary, it was chunky as hell, too bad I threw it all up 15 minutes later due to altitude sickness

got this on the stove

really, a very, very good sauce

like, really good

<3

stevie's is nearly exactly how i make it, but with more wine wine. which is reduced for about 5 mins before adding the tomatoes.

i did add ketchup tho bcuz i wanted more sweetness

i decided it was okay cuz i saw alton brown add ketchup during the good eats meat sauce episode

wtf

it's a sweet, tomato based product, not really that crazy if you actually think about it

"there's no substitute" is what he said

carmelizing the onions is the key. you want that shit translucent and bittersweet.

i'm thinking about ketchup on spaghetti noodles and getting grossed out

sorry spaghetti noodles is redundant, my bad

you people who add sugar are the most disgusting savages ITT imho

I used to prefer my spaghetti sauces to be sweet but after I had a good spaghetti sauce I couldn't go back

maybe if there was meat in it I would want it to be sweet but I just make mine with garlic and onions and stuff

i didn't want sweet tomato sauce -- just slightly sweeter than what it was

Yeah when I say add sugar, I'm literally talkin a PINCH. Quarter teaspoon, max.

And really, it would depend on the maters anyway - if theyre godlike home grown ones they may be sweet enough not to need it, but I dont think Ive ever had tomaters that good :(

Another good combo: a good simmered down simple sauce as everyone's listed above, with a few fresh herbs, onions & garlic... then t'wards the end, toss in a drained can of chickpeas. If you like, mush some of em with a fork. Hearty goodness, goes well with a short pasta like orrichiete or penne.

i can dig the chickpeas

you people who add sugar are the most disgusting savages ITT imho

just a pinch is all

sugar in tomato sauce is like as old as cooking itself so uh

pro tip: add a couple anchovy filets when u are frying the onions & garlic... u won't taste them in the end but they will add some serious umami. (or just add some fish sauce at some point in the cooking).

never add fresh basil till i serve, personally.

love making a good bolognese, but not really a "tomato sauce" imo

ayo can someone give me like a quick meatball recipe

looking to kill like a half pound of ground beef

Um, bread soaked in milk and kneaded into the ground meat is the tip I've heard most. Other things that go into the mix = onions, garlic, both diced; grated parmesan; basil & parsley, minced; s&p.

Brown them in a skillet with some oil, then lay on a flat sheet or plate and freeze, or dump 'em into your sauce of choice and uh...let simmer for a while?

yes, but it's a good idea to brown first either way

Oh yes, that's what I meant. They have to be browned to have anything near the flavor you want. But from that point you can either freeze them for later, or put them into a sauce right away.

i've heard the tri-meat mix is best. pork, beef, and veal, i think? breadcrumbs, parsley, some grated parm, and season to taste.

oh sorry that's not helpful tho, u have beef. beef is always amazing.

mwah, thank u ramz

Yes!! I consider myself lucky when I've lived in nabes where they stores carry "meatloaf mix" -- otherwise I have to buy ground beef and ground pork separately and mix them and then repack for the fridge or freezer. The beef/pork/veal combo is KING ime.

and laurel too

My wife made a fantastic batch of meatballs a couple of weeks ago -- 2 parts ground chuck, 1 part breakfast sausage, crumbs/onion/garlic/seasonings/egg, baked instead of browned in skillet.

go for non-italian meatballs—brown them in butter, then slow-cook 'em in beef stock

u will die they are so good

I make meatballs for albondigas soup w/ pork and rice. Delicious in the spicy broth w/ squeeze of lime.

Always like your style, jaq

post albondigas recipe plz

Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for

twenty guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some

garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn't

stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs; heh?... And a

little bit o' wine. An' a little bit o' sugar, and that's my trick.

steve shasta legendary foodie: i like yr off the cuff style but prefer a bit more direction
and i have cooked for 100 people before dude so don't give me that 'learn something kid' shit punk

...

shastamenza

kids these days...

birth certificate or gtfo

smh @ jdchurchill

oh my i am such a dick, sorry steve shasta i was in quite a foul mood when i wrote that

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LnLtk3_0E1Q/SGFkApSJk7I/AAAAAAAAEB4/byM7P2Yxtdk/s400/vaffanculo.jpg

http://halfoffdepot.com/media/catalog/product/cache/14/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_2_37.jpg

smh

wow this really got away from perfect tomato sauce
bummer but there is some good stuff here