The food that I probably enjoy the most, but have the hardest time finding at high high levels is Italian food in the kinda red sauce that has me wanting to continuously mop it up with left over bread. I've tried all sortsa recipes at home with trying to perfect a beautiful and tasty marinara but all are just ok. I've bought just about every bottled brand I can think of thinking I can get lucky with a bottled one. Again, all are average or at best slightly above average to me.

Does the board have any recs for a recipe or even a bottled one (I'm thinking its highly unlikely to find a bottled one of this level) that is really really good?

InBeforeCannedvsHomeadeBattleComences

There is a place in Shreveport, LA called Monjunis that has some really good sauce imo. If you haven't tried it, you should. They sell it by the bottle in their restaurant. Might even ship you some.

I've tried numerous recipes, including many posted on TA, but haven't found one that knocks it out of the park.

no fish sauce needed

the key is the meat you simmer in the sunday gravy-

your 1 hour sauce is ganna suck emeril compared to a 10 hour cook

think of it like brisket

its more about time and love than the fish sauce

Sorry I read that he wanted something good

The key is to move to Italy and make the sauce when tomatoes are in seaaon.

Spore Ag said:

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The only canned marinara sauce we use is Rao's out of New York. Specs sells it. Homemade sauce involves cooking down one onion for each person served and of course garlic.

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You can get it at H-E-B. And it is very good.

Slicer97 said:

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The key is to move to Italy and make the sauce when tomatoes are in seaaon.

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Ina Garten is an Ag?

phideaux_2003 said:

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Spore Ag said:

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The only canned marinara sauce we use is Rao's out of New York. Specs sells it. Homemade sauce involves cooking down one onion for each person served and of course garlic.

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You can get it at H-E-B. And it is very good.

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I've been to Rao's and it was great. Found the canned sauce mediocre at best.

HtownAg98... so Cento?

keysercade said:

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HtownAg98... so Cento?

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Maybe. If they just say "Italian" or "Italian style" they aren't the real deal. You need to look for the DOP stamp on the can. It's a red and yellow starburst.
https://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/12/what-is-a-dop-italian-san-marzano-canned-tomato.html

I don't taste any difference between San Marzano or US grown Italian style canned tomatoes.

I've been able to tell the difference in taste. It's because the real San Marzano are picked riper. You'll notice it when you go to crush them by hand. They disintegrate almost by just touching them. The American San Marzanos are tougher in the brands ive tried.

But if you have a brand that you like, stick with it.

HTownAg98 said:

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I've been able to tell the difference in taste. It's because the real San Marzano are picked riper. You'll notice it when you go to crush them by hand. They disintegrate almost by just touching them. The American San Marzanos are tougher in the brands ive tried.

But if you have a brand that you like, stick with it.

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Arguing about store bought canned tomatoes. Grow your own for the absolute best. And grow enough to can them to last over the winter.

Most home grown tomatoes don't have enough acid and are too watery to make a marinara that is better than what you can get from a can.

But if you are growing a meaty tomato made for sauce, I'm sure they're awesome. For the rest of us that can't, the canned ones are the next best alternative.

No we are only doing a crap tasting fish based sauce

And fish is meat dik4

i use anchovies instead of fish sauce. either one works. it makes a big difference in the final product.

Buy 10 lbs of Roma tomatoes. Wash and then dice them. Saute' 2-4 cloves (or more, depends on personal preference) of garlic in some olive oil in a sauce pot. Once garlic is fragrant and begins to lightly brown, dump in all 10 lbs of Roma tomatoes. Let simmer for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with some shredded basil. The diced tomatoes will completely break down over time and become a nice thick red sauce.

Voila, marinara sauce.

Or 10 minute option:

Buy a bag of mini-San Marzanos from Walmart. In skillet, sauce a diced clove of garlic in olive oil. Pour in all mini-San Marzanos. Add salt and pepper to taste. As the tomatoes cook, press down on them with your spoon so they release their juices as they are crushed. Add fresh shredded basil as you get closer to the 10 minute mark. Stir constantly with spoon. After 10 minutes, your sauce is ready.

If you don't like tomato skins in your sauce, either use an emulsion blender, or blend it. It will make a nice thick marinara sauce.

For best results, make the day before and let it rest in the fridge.

Both of these options are easy, and you can adjust them to your own taste.

Yay seeds in the sauce some major fail here

MookieBlaylock said:

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Yay seeds in the sauce some major fail here

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I've removed seeds from Roma tomatoes when making a sauce before, it's not exactly difficult.

I know some claim the seeds give the sauce a bitter taste.

I've made the 10 minute marinara including the seeds every time, never noticed any bitterness or any other taste issues.

My go to are Carmelina San Marzano I order from Amazon. I used to use 6 in 1 ground Tomatoes, but, they no longer sell direct and I haven't found another reliable source. Cooking for hours makes a huge difference, however, you can make a great sauce in 20 minutes with these. I'll usually add a can of Tomato paste if I'm doing a short cook.

All I do is sautee a small diced onion with about 4-5 cloves of minced garlic in 1/2 cup olive oil on med-low. When that's tender I'll add a can of tomatoes and 5-6 torn basil leaves. Season with a little salt and a pinch of sugar and simmer for 20mins. Hit with a stick blender and add in the can of paste or time permitting, continue to cook down for a few hours. Adjust salt at the end. If you add too much early, it's easy to over salt as it cooks down

garc said:

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There is a place in Shreveport, LA called Monjunis that has some really good sauce imo. If you haven't tried it, you should. They sell it by the bottle in their restaurant. Might even ship you some.

I've tried numerous recipes, including many posted on TA, but haven't found one that knocks it out of the park.

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I second this, their sauce is amazing. They do ship, we haven't had to do that because we have several sets of friends with family in LA and they will pick us up a case when we run low. They also have a restaurant in Baton Rouge, and Albertsons in LA carry it on the self.

Here's a stupidly simple recipe we tried recently. The only difference is I cooked it longer than they specified.

Next time I might sub some of the olive oil with butter, but this sauce is fantastic and easy.

https://www.gnom-gnom.com/paleo-whole30-keto-marinara-sauce/

The one I use more or less, courtesy of Henry Hill:

Quote:

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Basic Tomato Sauce

A simple tomato sauce is the basis of all Southern Italian cooking, even though tomatoes are not native to Italy. (Can you believe it? They were brought over from the Americas.) I love this sauce. It is light, sweet, and delightful. You can use it with any and everything tossed with pasta, as a base for Lobster Fra Diavolo or Chicken Cacciatore, you name it. And because you skim it (remove the acid), it's guaranteed to be heartburn free. When I cook, it often starts with getting this sauce going (if there's none left in the refrigerator), and then the rest of the meal can happen.

I don't usually like onions in my sauce, but some people always add them. When I did a stint in prison, Vinnie Aloi, the head of his family, used to make us sauce and he used tons of onions. I didn't like it, but believe me, I ate every bite.

Remember this is a "basic"recipe. You can add a little of this, a little of that. I don't know if I've ever made sauce the same way twice. I'll add a bit of red wine one day, some tomato paste the next, more basil, etc. It's like making love you do it a little different every time, but the end result will always put a smile on your face.

6-8 cloves of garlic, minced or thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped brown or white onions or shallots (optional)
2 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes with basil, drained, reserving juice
12 large basil leaves, torn in large pieces, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, or 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

In a large skillet or medium-large wide pot, cook garlic briefly in olive oil over medium-low heat. Do not brown, or it will get bitter. If using optional onions, cook them 3-5 minutes in olive oil, then add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the juice from the canned tomatoes to stop the garlic cooking. Crush tomatoes with your hands or chop well on a cutting board and add to the pan. Add basil, parsley, and teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stir thoroughly once, then reduce heat to a low simmer. As the acid from the tomatoes flows to the top, skim it off every 10-15 minutes. Sauce is ready in half an hour, but cook up to 1 hour if you want it thicker. Check for seasoning and add the rest of the salt and pepper, if desired.

HENRY'S NOTES AND TIPS: Stirring the sauce mixes the acid into it. It's okay to stir briefly right after you skim, to keep it from scorching. You can tell the acid's coming out by the foamy stuff and little pools of oil that form on the topthat's what you skim off. My mom would put one of the empty tomato cans next to the stove to catch the skimmed-off part-something I still do today. Though a lot of people disagree, I never add sugar to sauce-never! If I had to use lower quality canned tomatoes, I add half a small carrot, peeled and finely grated for sweetening. Add the carrot early enough in the process so it gets completely soft. If you crush the tomatoes with your hands, watch they don't squirt you. Or your clothes. My mom taught me a way to slice garlic so thin it liquefies in the pan: with a razor. Do this at your own risk.

PARSLEY (AND OTHER FRESH HERBS) When I say parsley, I mean Italian parsley, not curly. I never use curly parsley to cook, only as a garnish. Italian parsley has fatter leaves which are dark green. It looks kind of like fresh cilantro; don't get them confused! My mom always used to say eating parsley is so good for you it's like taking vitamins. Just recently scientists found out that it and many other herbs are as good for you as fresh fruits and vegetables, sometimes better! If you can't find fresh Italian parsley, use dried parsley. Use 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of dried instead of the cup fresh, and add the dried stuff halfway through or its flavor will get cooked away. To clean fresh parsley (and any number of other herbs), rinse with water, shake off excess, then pinch the leaves off the stems (unless the recipe says to use whole stalks, like when you're making a soup or stock, in which case you toss in the whole thing). You don't have to be a fanatic about getting rid of all the stems. The top part of most herbs is pretty tender and sweet like the leaves. I chop the leaves very fine on a cutting board until they start to give off their odor before adding to a dish. Grinding in a mortar and pestle is a great way to get the most flavor from fresh herbs. If you're using dried herbs, crumble in your fingers a bit to start releasing the flavor.

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phideaux_2003 said:

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Spore Ag said:

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The only canned marinara sauce we use is Rao's out of New York. Specs sells it. Homemade sauce involves cooking down one onion for each person served and of course garlic.

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You can get it at H-E-B. And it is very good.

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I bought a jar of this a few weeks back and have used it a couple times. using it to sauce some spaghetti (in a skillet) gives a surprisingly good and quick week night pasta dinner.

Ben E Kieth stocks it Fido, find some one that orders from them I'm sure they could help you out.

I've tasted 60+ diff cans, I've settle on La Valle brand,( Carmilina in a pinch) non-DOP, blind test 10 pros - all 10 agreed. At a little less than 1/3 the cost it's a no brainer, but I buy 4-5 tons a year.