Marinara Cooking Technique

[Addie]

Same thing here with the San Marzano's. And apparently we share an underdeveloped palate, Kayelle, as I always use oregano too!

Ditto here! Save your money. I recently decided to try a house brand of jarred pasta sauce. A simple basil and tomato sauce. Looking at the ingredients, this is going to be my 'go to' jarred pasta sauce from here on in. There was no oregano listed. It is such a simple sauce, I can doctor it anyway I want. And the first thing to go into it, will be oregano. And it is nice and chunky. I doubt very much if this sauce has San Marzano tomatoes. Just your standard plum tomatoes. I can mike up a few meatballs, sausages, etc. and let them simmer in this sauce.

I tried a can of the Muir Glen San Marzano tomatoes once. And only because I had a coupon. Way over priced even then and nothing to write home about. They tasted bland to me. And they were not salt free either.

Save your money!

 

[Cheryl J]

Sounds like the Nina brand from Costco is something I'll have to try. My daughter loves them, too. Will put them on my list for my next Costco trip.

I tried a can of the Muir Glen San Marzano tomatoes once. And only because I had a coupon. Way over priced even then and nothing to write home about. They tasted bland to me. And they were not salt free either.

Save your money!

Just wanted to clarify...Muir Glen and San Marzanos are not the same. Muir Glen are organic tomatoes grown in CA, named after the naturalist John Muir.

 

[Andy M.]

...Just wanted to clarify...Muir Glen and San Marzanos are not the same. Muir Glen are organic tomatoes grown in CA, named after the naturalist John Muir.

To clarify further, Muir Glen is a brand name. San Marzano is a type of plum tomato grown is a designated region in Italy. Only Muir Glen can sell Muir Glen tomatoes but many brands can sell San Marzanos.

I tried Muir Glen tomatoes once and found them too acidic to enjoy.

 

[Cheryl J]

Exactly, Andy. Thank you for clarifying further. I guess my hurried point was that although true regional San Marzanos do fall under many brand names, Muir Glen is not one of them. I appreciate your post.

By the way, I too found Muir Glen nothing to write home about. lol

 

[BoracayB]

I really like Rao's marinara sauce.
The recipe calls for salt pork to be sauteed to render some fat.
Never can get it to taste like the jar....

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I really like Rao's marinara sauce.
The recipe calls for salt pork to be sauteed to render some fat.
Never can get it to taste like the jar....

Interesting. Rao is the name of Deity in two of the Fantasy novels I'm working on. So, this marinara sauce is mad by a god. It had better be good!

Wait. Oops. The deity's name in my novels is Rhaos. Silly me.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Aunt Bea]

Interesting. Rao is the name of Deity in two of the Fantasy novels I'm working on. So, this marinara sauce is mad by a god. It had better be good!

Wait. Oops. The deity's name in my novels is Rhaos. Silly me.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Rao's Marinara Sauce Recipe

You may remember Rao's owner Frank Pellegrino from the Soprano's.

The Rao's cook book is a great collection of Italian American recipes.

 

[msmofet]

7 gen. ALL my relatives - aunt's, great aunt's, grandma and mom added Fresh (dry if fresh unavailable) - garlic, basil, oregano, flat leaf parsley, red pepper flakes, onion, salt, ground pepper, olive oil and red wine to marinara sauce (meatless tomato sauce) and gravy (tomato sauce with meat in it). It also depends on the region of Italy as to the herbs and spices added to dishes.

P.S. Since the arthritis in fingers and wrists chopping herbs has been a beast till I got this. This makes fast work of the herb chopping. I LOVE IT!

Zyliss FastCut Herb Mincer.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

After doing some online research (not wiki) it seems that the sauce I first described is a ragu. marinara was defined in every dictionary as a strong flavored tomato sauce that includes garlic and various herbs. I guess that means that you can put whatever herbs and spices you want into your Marinara. However, if you add meat, then it becomes a ragu.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Kayelle]

After doing some online research (not wiki) it seems that the sauce I first described is a ragu. marinara was defined in every dictionary as a strong flavored tomato sauce that includes garlic and various herbs. I guess that means that you can put whatever herbs and spices you want into your Marinara. However, if you add meat, then it becomes a ragu.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Yep, that's what I've understood too. Someone said it becomes a Bolognese sauce with meat in it, however Bolognese contains milk, and yours did not.

 

[GotGarlic]

After doing some online research (not wiki) it seems that the sauce I first described is a ragu. marinara was defined in every dictionary as a strong flavored tomato sauce that includes garlic and various herbs. I guess that means that you can put whatever herbs and spices you want into your Marinara. However, if you add meat, then it becomes a ragu.

Maybe you could ask a mod to change the title, so future readers won't be confused when they start to read the thread

 

[Kayelle]

Maybe you could ask a mod to change the title, so future readers won't be confused when they start to read the thread

I think the whole discussion would be moot if anything was changed now. jmo

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

 

[Zagut]

What's in a name?

It's tomato sauce. Call it whatever you like.

Sometimes it tastes good cooked for a short time and sometimes it tastes good cooked for a long time. Sometimes it's even better left overnight in the fridge and reheated.

The Chiefs technique is interesting and worth a try for those interested.
Old and new methods can produce fine results.

Add the herbs and spices you enjoy.

For me it's a "mood I'm in" and what's available kind of thing as to what's included.

It's sorta like chili. Ask 100 cooks for a recipe and you'll get 101.

None of them are bad (well except what my sister has turned out) and each one is a new experience for our taste buds to extrapolate on in our own endevors.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

What's in a name?

It's tomato sauce. Call it whatever you like.

Sometimes it tastes good cooked for a short time and sometimes it tastes good cooked for a long time. Sometimes it's even better left overnight in the fridge and reheated.

The Chiefs technique is interesting and worth a try for those interested.
Old and new methods can produce fine results.

Add the herbs and spices you enjoy.

For me it's a "mood I'm in" and what's available kind of thing as to what's included.

It's sorta like chili. Ask 100 cooks for a recipe and you'll get 101.

None of them are bad (well except what my sister has turned out) and each one is a new experience for our taste buds to extrapolate on in our own endevors.

+102

 

[Roll_Bones]

Yeah, I'd forgotten about that. I usually get what's on sale. If I go to BJ's, I get Del Monte. I don't think it makes all that much difference, to be honest.

Until I found "Nina" Italian. I never paid much attention. Now I pay attention. I also don't think its that big a deal.
I will not buy some of the store brand tomato's though. Very weak and sometimes they look like they are not fully ripe. Seconds?

I'll have to pick up some of those canned tomatoes at Costco. Thanks for the tip RB.
About San Marzano's tomatoes, I bit the bullet and paid the over inflated price for them once, buying into the hoopla, but never again. I couldn't tell the difference in the end product but then there are those who would consider my palate under developed since I always use oregano.

I buy the gallon can of Nina whole. I think they have smaller cans? Not sure. But canned tomato's are hard to beat from Costco. Very good quality and a great price.
The gallon can on Nina Whole Italian is about $3.50 or even less? I buy two each time.

Exactly what I use when making big batches of "Mother Sauce".

Same here. Make a big batch and freeze individual containers for future use. They are beautiful tomato's.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I still wanna spit watermelon seeds at my sister.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Addie]

Thanks for the reminder. I still have a half of personal size watermelon in the fridge. Something to pick at tonight. Too bad, it is seedless. No spitting battles tonight.

 

[Addie]

Well, summertime is here. Why heat up the kitchen and rest of the house. Buy a large jar of your favorite simple pasta sauce with basil and take it from there. The night before you can mix and shape your meatballs, and sauté any other meats that you put in for a big pasta feast along with whatever herbs and seasonings that please your palate. To each their own. You will have a long cold winter to stand over a hot stove and fuss with your favorite pasta sauce. If you do have leftover with your jarred sauce, freeze it. Yes, you can freeze jarred foods once they have been opened and heated. All that time you would have spent working over a hot stove? Use the extra time with family. Get out a board game from the back of the closet and have some fun time together.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Thanks for the reminder. I still have a half of personal size watermelon in the fridge. Something to pick at tonight. Too bad, it is seedless. No spitting battles tonight.

I have been enjoying ice cold watermelon each night. It takes the place of my midnight ice cream craving.

My wife chills the melon, then cuts it into bite size pieces and puts them back in the fridge. A dash of salt and they are fantastic.

So far we have gotten very sweet watermelons. I guess making sure the bottom is as yellow as yellow can be really is the way to determine ripeness?

Watermelon sure has gotten expensive!