Trying to make a tomato sauce

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jes

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 13, 2011
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43
Location
Regina, Saskatchewan
I am trying to make a long-simmered tomato sauce. I put the pan on my stove on the lowest possible setting and add tomatoes and some herbs.

I have done just that before and it works well but if I do it and add garlic the results is barely edible - burned, I think. I don't understand how, though. There is so much liquid there.

Does anyone have any advice of how to add garlic without the burning part?
 
Jes: Happy Canada Day July 1st

:cool: Buonasera,

Firstly, I have been making tomato sauces of all types since I am a teenager ... Comes with the turf when you have an Italian Grandmom who owns a Trattoria ...

1) Olive Oil: sauté onion until tender, then, green or red bell pepper or both chopped finely, if you wish and then, the garlic minced until just tender, and then add your tomatoes and a tablesp of tomato paste ...

Are you using fresh tomatoes or canned ?

2) I do my flame on simmer medium ( not high ) ... Was your flame too high ?

3) What type sauce pan are you using ? Use a heavy weight ...

There is an exemplary Bolognese sauce from Emilia Romagna, Italia on the Ethnic Section written by me; if you are interested and one written by a woman named Diana ...


4) which type sauce do you wish to make : bolognese, marinara, or other tomato based sauce ?

Please advise.

Hope this has helped.

Kind regards, Ciao,
Margi.
 
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1. I prefer whole canned tomatoes if I don't have local fresh ones.
2. I have an electric stove. For this I keep the heat as low as possible.
3. The sauce pan is steel and copper. It is heaver than those cheap aluminum pans.
4. I am not sure of the name of what I want to make. I just want to simmer oregano, sage, garlic and tomato until the flavors combine and the sugars caramelize.
 
I do something similar to what Margi does, except before the garlic I add the tomato paste and saute for a minute or so to get a richer flavor from it. Then the garlic until fragrent.

From that point, you go in the direction of the sauce you wish to make.

If I'm headed for Sunday Gravy, red wine goes next, then the tomatoes and a pinch of red pepper flakes. The meats get added based on cooking time required, but generally I'll add sausage and meatballs at the same time. I usually use fresh basil so a bunch goes in at the time the tomatoes are added and then some more after the meats have been pulled to refresh the sauce in the finishing stage.
 
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Jes and Craig,

Why would fresh garlic get burnt ?

This has never happened to me ... I have a brand new Bosch German Vitro Ceramic stove top in Madrid Capital and Gas in Puglia, Italia.

Jes has told us: the flame is low medium, electric stove top, and he is using heavy weight saucepan --- I have covered these two and they were answered ...

Try Craig´s suggestion ; stir in some tomato paste ... and then sauté the garlic minced and add the chopped finely tomatoes, fresh, de-seeded and peeled or canned ...

Best regards.
Margi.
 
Jes and Craig,

Why would fresh garlic get burnt ?

This has never happened to me ... I have a brand new Bosch German Vitro Ceramic stove top in Madrid Capital and Gas in Puglia, Italia.

Jes has told us: the flame is low medium, electric stove top, and he is using heavy weight saucepan --- I have covered these two and they were answered ...

Try Craig´s suggestion ; stir in some tomato paste ... and then sauté the garlic minced and add the chopped finely tomatoes, fresh, de-seeded and peeled or canned ...

Best regards.
Margi.

Margi,
I think garlic gets burned because folks saute it too long. I've done so myself. I have found that as soon as it becomes fragrent some liquid (tomatoes or wine) needs to be added. If it does burn, the dish is ruined and you need to start over. Like making a rue for gumbo or etouffee, if it burns your done.
 
I am trying to make a long-simmered tomato sauce. I put the pan on my stove on the lowest possible setting and add tomatoes and some herbs.

I have done just that before and it works well but if I do it and add garlic the results is barely edible - burned, I think. I don't understand how, though. There is so much liquid there.

Does anyone have any advice of how to add garlic without the burning part?

When did you add the garlic? If you add it in the beginning, as Margi said, have your tomatoes ready to go in. The garlic needs to saute for only 30 seconds or so before it will start to burn, but sauteeing it will mellow its flavor nicely.

In fact, it's good practice with any recipe to have all your ingredients gathered, measured and ready to go before beginning to cook.
 
I add all of the ingredients at the beginning (except for the onions - I saute them in olive oil first). Maybe it isn't the garlic that burns but the result sure tastes burned.
 
I add all of the ingredients at the beginning (except for the onions - I saute them in olive oil first). Maybe it isn't the garlic that burns but the result sure tastes burned.

Maybe you're cooking the sauce itself too long. The ingredients you describe don't really need to simmer very long - maybe 20 minutes. There isn't a lot of liquid to begin with, so long cooking would evaporate the liquid and the bottom could scorch.
 
Maybe you're cooking the sauce itself too long. The ingredients you describe don't really need to simmer very long - maybe 20 minutes. There isn't a lot of liquid to begin with, so long cooking would evaporate the liquid and the bottom could scorch.

That sounds like what may be happening. What can I do, then? I just want to simmer oregano, sage, garlic and tomato until the flavors combine and the sugars caramelize.
 
Are you trying a marinara sauce? If so, the 20-30 min. should be enough. You can make it ahead and leave it off the heat to blend the flavors then reheat when ready to serve. Or, keep it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat.
 
Actually, I don't know the terms for the various dishes such as Margi mentioned (Bolonese, marinara, or other tomato based sauce, etc.)
 
Margi,
I can't find your recipe for Bolognese sauce in the ethics section. Will you please post it again? It would be very much appreciated.
 
Love the bolo recipe, but I personally like to use heavy cream instead of milk. I am a huge fan of bolognese.
 
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f76/my-perfect-marinara-80191.html

The longer you cook tomatoes, the more you diminish the bright, natural tomato flavor IMO. Use less ingredients and make sure they're of high quality and executed right for a great tomato sauce. You shouldn't have more than five or six ingredients in the sauce combined. The perfect tomato sauce leaves a very light red-orange "coating" on the plate when you're done with the pasta.

I wouldn't call bolognese a tomato sauce, it's more of a meat stew type sauce with tomatoes in it. Tomato sauce to me is stuff like marinara or pomodoro, or sauce tomate.
 
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