Trying to make a tomato sauce

[Cerise]

Originally Posted by jes

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.

Just my humble opinion, but I would omit the sage (it can be bitter or over powering if you use too much), and use oregano & thyme. I saute minced garlic and chopped onions in olive oil until soft and golden. Then add the tomatoes w/ their juices & herbs. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Stir every once in awhile. Add salt & pepper to taste, and some fresh basil, if you like.

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I never put garlic in my tomato sauce and neither did Grandma LoVullo, my mother, or any of her 4 sisters. No herbs are/were added either. Crushed or puréed tomatoes, water, sautéd onion, tomato paste, salt, pepper and a touch of sugar. The sauce gets added flavour by simmering it for a couple of hours with a pound of hot Italian sausage and a pound of meatballs (big meatballs, 6 to the pound), already cooked of course. Simple, but effective.

[jes]

How are those long-simmering tomato sauces made in restaurants?

[PrincessFiona60]

Depends on the restaurant, some of them come out of cans, others out of the freezer.

Which restaurant were you wondering about?

[jes]

No restaurant in particular.

The tomatoes that I use usually come from a can for the same reasons as this: Chef Michael Smith | tips-tricks-hints | Canned Tomatoes

If I let them simmer for a long time, the bottom scorches unless I have stirred frequently. I can't imagine that, in a busy restaurant, there would be much time for that.

[PrincessFiona60]

I've only ever seen a homemade pasta sauce in one place, the cook came in early, got it all put together in a huge pot, about 20 gallons and by the time he finished it had cooked/simmered about 4 hours. Then he would put the big pan in an even bigger one with ice in the bottom and pack it with ice all around and put in the walk-in cooler.

When dinner time came around, he would scoop it out a gallon at a time and reheat it. Anything that was leftover at night was poured over prepped cheese manicotti for the next days lunches.

He made the dinner sauce everyday, fresh, starting at 4 in the morning.

[jes]

Did he stir the mix frequently?

[Andy M.]

I'll bet he didn't.

To prevent scorching, you need a heavy pot or one with a layered bottom. Also need to keep the heat low. No boiling, just a bare simmer.

[PrincessFiona60]

Only while he was sauteing the onions and garlic. Once he added the tomatoes, the heat went down and he would stir about every 30 minutes or so. Herbs went in the last 30 minutes on the stove.

[Claire]

Always add the garlic after you've sauteed all the other vegetables you're going to use, or since it is long-simmering, even add them last. If they go into the oil first it is easy to scorch them, especially if your oil is too hot.

My favorite way to make sauce for the freezer, though, is to roast rather than simmer the tomatoes.

[no mayonnaise]

Originally Posted by Claire

Always add the garlic after you've sauteed all the other vegetables you're going to use, or since it is long-simmering, even add them last. If they go into the oil first it is easy to scorch them, especially if your oil is too hot.

Great advice, I agree 100%. I see people add minced garlic to a hot pan with chopped onions and I almost cringe. Knowing your stove, cookware, and the consistency of the garlic is crucial as well.

[Bmhughes89]

Originally Posted by jes

No restaurant in particular.

The tomatoes that I use usually come from a can for the same reasons as this: Chef Michael Smith | tips-tricks-hints | Canned Tomatoes

If I let them simmer for a long time, the bottom scorches unless I have stirred frequently. I can't imagine that, in a busy restaurant, there would be much time for that.

In most restaraunts I've worked in have our sauces done in the am. Either during a prep shift or a closed period. Stirring frequently is a must, but on a lower temperature with a longer simmer you can stir less.

[PrincessFiona60]

50+ years of cooking the same sauce everyday, I'd say the old cook had it down. I worked there 4 years and he never once scorched or burned the sauce. And watching him make the pasta without any utensil except a knife and rolling pin was pure poetry.