Alton Browns Baked Tomato Sauce

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by rowdy1

Skeeter....just a regular metal flour sifter?

I think she is talking about the food mill that alton uses in the video Char.

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by SkeeterN

Thread jack: In his video for this sauce he used a sifter where you turn the handle and it mashes the tomato's into sauce. I found one of these at a garage sale for .50 I was thrilled.

I believe it's called a food mill...there's all shapes and sizes, they're very handy. Here's one:

[jackieba]

I'd love to have a food mill but the ones I've seen online were pricey.
Wish I could find a deal like you did Skeeter.

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by jackieba

I'd love to have a food mill but the ones I've seen online were pricey.
Wish I could find a deal like you did Skeeter.

When I see a farm auction in the paper nearby where I live I always pop in looking for stuff like that.

[rowdy1]

Oh.... duh on me! I was wondering how the tomatoes would grind up fine enough for a flour sifter. Not seeing the video and knowing just how soft the tomatoes are = duh!

I have a regular "hand cranker" food mill from way back. I think I also have an attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer that does that as well. I'll have to rummage the cupboards.

This sauce is on the list for sure.


Skeeter....50 cents? That's a deal for sure..woot woot!

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by rowdy1

Not seeing the video and knowing just how soft the tomatoes are = duh!

Do you know the link to the video is on the 1st page of this thread Char?

[rowdy1]

kevinpa...Yes...but, our slow computer connection doesn't usually open videos. I've tried several times to open it. Hope is on the horizon though...cable is being run into our area as we speak. Available June 1. BTW, not to hijack this thread, just to let you know, I have about 3 people hooked on your Lo Carb CoCo Wheats recipe.

We are certainly blessed to have so many wonderful cooks on this site.

[theislandgirl]

Ok, what'd I miss! Not on your recipe page, dear Kevin, but LC Cocoa Puffs?! (to continue the TJ )...

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by theislandgirl

Ok, what'd I miss! Not on your recipe page, dear Kevin, but LC Cocoa Puffs?! (to continue the TJ )...

somehow I think that one went over my head Jude.

What the heck are you talking about!....

[Kevinpa]

Oh! Nevermind! (in my best Roseanne Roseannadanna voice)

[jackieba]

Originally Posted by rowdy1

kevinpa...Yes...but, our slow computer connection doesn't usually open videos. I've tried several times to open it. Hope is on the horizon though...cable is being run into our area as we speak.

I'm in the same situation about videos, extremely slow (28.8bps at best) connection so videos are out of the question. Very old phone lines. Unfortunately no Cable or DSL anywhere in the near future here.

[SkeeterN]

Originally Posted by jackieba

I'm in the same situation about videos, extremely slow (28.8bps at best) connection so videos are out of the question. Very old phone lines. Unfortunately no Cable or DSL anywhere in the near future here.

When I had dial-up I would let video's load and often once they were loaded I could then watch them as they would then play. You might try this. It can take a while though.

Yes it is called a food mill.

I didn't know what it was called. I also recently got a tomato holder too



for 25 cents

I just love garage sales.

[Tecnokitty]

Just marking my spot, can't wait to make this!

[SherylCA]

My "gift" tomatoes are in the oven and the aroma is wonderful. Can't wait until the last 30 minutes when the carmelization happens!

Thanks Kevin for the great video! I'm a picture and video kind of gal!

SherylCA

[scb1988]

I am gonna have to try this! Sounds heavenly!

Skeeter I was lucky I inherited all my mom's canning supplies and I got her food mill! I have some other strainer like things I don't know what they are but my mom and grandmother used them for canning. I think the cone shaped one is the funniest looking one WME5444041221_061.jpeg

[shirlc]

I'm making this sauce right now and the house smells wonderful! I'm also trying to do induction now so I'll have to freeze the sauce for awhile. I suppose it would be better not to add the wine now and wait till I thaw it???

Another problem I have...I don't drink...so I'm always using those dreadful cooking wines. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive wine that I could get to cook with? I've heard that you're not supposed to use wine that you wouldn't drink, but what if you don't drink the stuff?

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by shirlc

I'm making this sauce right now and the house smells wonderful! I'm also trying to do induction now so I'll have to freeze the sauce for awhile. I suppose it would be better not to add the wine now and wait till I thaw it???

Another problem I have...I don't drink...so I'm always using those dreadful cooking wines. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive wine that I could get to cook with? I've heard that you're not supposed to use wine that you wouldn't drink, but what if you don't drink the stuff?

When I cook things that call for wine I use 1 of 2 thing. Either a shiraz or a dry sherry. You can get a good, inexpensive bottle of either in the $5-6 a bottle range. Ask the clerk at the store to point one out to you, they are usually very helpful.

[shirlc]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

When I cook things that call for wine I use 1 of 2 thing. Either a shiraz or a dry sherry. You can get a good, inexpensive bottle of either in the $5-6 a bottle range. Ask the clerk at the store to point one out to you, they are usually very helpful.

Thanks, Kevin. I really appreciate this!

[jackieba]

You can get little bottles of wine, 4 to a pack for anywhere from $5 to $8 for the pack but they are great for cooking if you don't drink wine because you don' have to open a big bottle (and end up throwing the rest away). A merlot or cabernet makes a good red wine for cooking and they are available in the small bottles (merlot is a lighter wine than cabernet and is similar to shiraz/syrah; shiraz and syrah are the same--if it's Australian it's called shiraz). For a white wine, chardonnay or pinot grigio does nicely. At our liquor store, they keep these up near the counter.

[shirlc]

Jackie, that sounds perfect for me! Thanks for the suggestion.

[That Girl]

Originally Posted by shirlc

I'm making this sauce right now and the house smells wonderful! I'm also trying to do induction now so I'll have to freeze the sauce for awhile. I suppose it would be better not to add the wine now and wait till I thaw it???

Another problem I have...I don't drink...so I'm always using those dreadful cooking wines. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive wine that I could get to cook with? I've heard that you're not supposed to use wine that you wouldn't drink, but what if you don't drink the stuff?

trader joes sells a wine called two buck chuck.....although at ours its actually 3 bucks, but it tastes pretty good and for that price you cant go wrong. if you have some left over, you can always put it into an ice cube tray and freeze. that way, as you need wine for future use, you just grab a couple of cubes and go...hth..

[shirlc]

Originally Posted by That Girl

trader joes sells a wine called two buck chuck.....although at ours its actually 3 bucks, but it tastes pretty good and for that price you cant go wrong. if you have some left over, you can always put it into an ice cube tray and freeze. that way, as you need wine for future use, you just grab a couple of cubes and go...hth..

I sure wish we had a Trader Joes here...I've heard about the two-buck chuck, too. I've not heard of freezing wine in ice cube trays...but I'll sure try it. Thanks!

What does hth mean? I see it a lot, but don't have a clue.

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by shirlc

What does hth mean? I see it a lot, but don't have a clue.

hope that helps

[That Girl]

Originally Posted by shirlc

I sure wish we had a Trader Joes here...I've heard about the two-buck chuck, too. I've not heard of freezing wine in ice cube trays...but I'll sure try it. Thanks!

What does hth mean? I see it a lot, but don't have a clue.

i freeze a bunch at a time and then throw them in a ziploc bag. i also do this with spag sauces, jars of trader joes appetizer/dip spreads. i used to open a jar of the pepper/artichoke dip, have a couple of tblspoons and then throw out the rest 2 weeks later because i forgot about it. now i pretty much freeze everything. kevin, sorry for the threadjack. keep up the good work!

[MyJourney]

That weird conical thing is called a chinois. You can learn about it and how to use it here Williams-Sonoma Tip Technique Views

Its essentially a very fine strainer with a pestle that helps push stuff through.


Kevin, thank you for posting this recipe!!! I never would have thought of it or seen it otherwise but it sounds and looks incredible. This is going on next weeks menu!

[nikkic]

Thank you myjourney. I have that, but didn't know what it was. I was thinking that what they were talking about was something else completely

[amydee]

TMy grandmother called hers a food mill or ricer. Looks like a sifter with a handle that goes around horizontally and the blades press the food through the sieve on the bottom.

Amy

[MyJourney]

I just made this today and I have to say it was quite disappointing. I had high hopes and I felt it really needed a lot of tweaking just to make it decent. It was far from the incredible I had hoped for.

Here is what one of the trays looked like when it came out of the oven (I didn't have the counter space to take pictures of bother together lol)

This is what it looked like right after the food mill


This is what it looked like after the wine was added and it simmered for a while


On the pasta with Parmesan

The sauce was very thick and tomatoey which is good, the bad is that the flavors together weren't as great as I would like. It sort of tasted like a flavored tomato paste. I have made much better tasting sauces before, some significantly easier to make and even using canned tomatoes. This recipe didn't have nearly enough salt. The recipe on the food network page called for half a tsp of salt. That wasnt nearly enough to bring out the flavors. It called for 2 tsp of minced garlic which I increased to taste. I used fresh oregano and fresh thyme and the flavors were not particularly pronounced. The food mill had about half a cup worth of skins left behind, there was precious little paste that came out of there and I used half the amount of wine that was called for because there was so little that came out and it was still very overpowering. I ended up adding some dried basil, some more dried oregano, a couple of splashes of balsamic vinegar, a little shugr (sweetener blend) and some hot paprika to give it a kick. I also boosted the simmering time after all my additions. When it was done I felt it was acceptable but not the best sauce I have ever made in my life. I may make it again because the technique was interesting but I would definitely do things differently right from the start.

Overall it was a learning experience. As you can see from the final picture on the pasta it resulted in a smooth, thick sauce with a beautiful dark color. I also didnt use the ground beef because my boyfriend wanted a steak instead. I think ground beef is a nice addition. I think tomorrow I may take the leftover sauce, cut it with cream and some Parmesan cheese and play around with turning it into a tomato bisque.

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by MyJourney

I have made much better tasting sauces before, some significantly easier to make and even using canned tomatoes.

I am suprised. I have made this at least 4 time without a bad batch in the bunch. I'm sorry you didn't like it but maybe you could provide the exact recipe to your much better tasting sauce so we can compare.

[MyJourney]

Its times like these I wish I wrote recipes down

Try this

1 large can of whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
a bunch of fresh basil
sea salt (or kosher salt)
fresh ground black pepper
fatback
olive oil
water
red wine

Pour the tomatoes into a large glass bowl. Tear 4 basil leaves with your hands and add them with salt and pepper to taste. Stick your hands in and squish it but leave it a bit chunky (remove the skin and tough core if it is not already removed). Let sit for about 15 minutes.

Cut the fatback (1-2oz) into chunks and add to a pan with a few T of evoo and saute until the fat is rendered. Remove the fatback chunks and eat or do whatever you want with it lol. Take 5 cloves of fresh garlic (do not use the prepeeled kind, it just doesnt work as well) and smash the pieces with the back of a knife, do not cut. Add the smashed garlic to the hot oil and fry until golden. Chop up another 4 basil leaves or so with a knife, add to the oil and fry for another minute. Add the tomatoes and then use a tomato can full of water or add half a cup of a dry red wine to the tomato can and fill the rest with water and pour it in. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and let it simmer for about an hour stirring once in a while.

This is a basic sauce recipe and it can be modified in many different ways. For example, if I wanted to make a chili I would cut the basil in the sauce in half and use torn fresh oregano in the tomatos then instead of the basil fried in the oil I would replace it with cumin, chili powder, hot paprika and oregano to the oil and fry. Then instead of the red wine I would use 1c beer and maybe add a little chocolate. Its very versatile.

If you want this sauce with more of a kick add some crushed red chilis when you add the basil to the oil.