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Pizza sauce question

theeggcellentchef
theeggcellentchef Posts: 138
in EggHead Forum
Forgive me if this has already been addressed but do the pizza makers in this forum pre cook their sauce?  In the past I’ve run canned San Marzanos through a food mill and added salt, oil
and oregano with good results but now wonder if the cooking sauce would improve finished product 
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Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I do what you've been doing, with the addition of a dusting of garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Haven't pre-cooked it in a while now.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,380
    Try it both ways and see what you like best.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • TN_Egger
    TN_Egger Posts: 1,120
    San Marzanos, oil, s&p, garlic, basil. simmer it for 20-30 minutes.  into the fridge to wait until pizza night.
    Signal Mountain, TN
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    I make my sauce a lot like @TN_Egger. I cook it mainly to reduce the moisture. I think it helps with keeping the crust crisp. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • hoosier_egger
    hoosier_egger Posts: 6,808
    I usually don’t cook but may have to try it. I always taste and add sugar to tone down the acidity. Really depends on the particular can of tomatoes 
    ~ John - Formerly known as ColtsFan  - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, Med BGE, BGE Chiminea, Ardore Pizza Oven
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • Hoster05
    Hoster05 Posts: 312
    Can of San marzanos, drain a little of the water, little oil, little S&P.  Throw into blender and blend just to break up the tomatoes.  Takes 5 minutes.  
    Mankato, MN - LBGE
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  • AprèsSki
    AprèsSki Posts: 133
    I usually do both: soften onions in butter, add a minced clove of garlic, once it starts to smell nice add 2/3 of a can of San Marzanos either crushed or whole that I crush by hand followed by herbs of choice before simmering for 1/2 hour.

    Then I puree with an immersion blender and add the remaining crushed San Marzanos. If using whole I puree the uncooked in the can before adding.

    Best of both worlds, the cooked tomato flavor punched up with uncooked tomato brightness. 
    Firing up my XL Big Green Egg, KJ Jr. or Weber gasser in Salt Lake City
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    Once a year, I make a batch of arabiatta sauce (cooked) that I also use as pizza sauce.

    For everyday pizzas, I use Emma or Mutti canned pizza sauce.  Emma is pretty hard to beat.

    For « special » pizzas, I use hand crushed and drained San Marzanos with salt and olive oil.  The leftover juice makes the best bloody mary!

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    paqman said:
    Once a year, I make a batch of arabiatta sauce (cooked) that I also use as pizza sauce.

    For everyday pizzas, I use Emma or Mutti canned pizza sauce.  Emma is pretty hard to beat.

    For « special » pizzas, I use hand crushed and drained San Marzanos with salt and olive oil.  The leftover juice makes the best bloody mary!
    @paqman Any chance you would share the Aribiatta sauce method with me? PM if it is simi-top secrete.  ;)
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    @northGAcock The only secret is Star Anise 👀

    Look up this old thread for the method:  https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186265/ot-homemade-pizza-sauce-with-san-marzano-tomatoes-from-my-garden

    When tomatoes are in season (August) I purchase a big box (sometimes 2) of Italian tomatoes and process them using the method described in the thread above but I also add spicy chili peppers.  I don’t have an exact recipe, I basically add whatever herbs I have in the garden (basilic, oregano, thyme) or even a dry mix from the pantry.  Salt to taste. A tiny bit of sugar... and lots of star anise.  Sometimes onions or shallots, garlic.




    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    paqman said:
    @northGAcock The only secret is Star Anise 👀

    Look up this old thread for the method:  https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186265/ot-homemade-pizza-sauce-with-san-marzano-tomatoes-from-my-garden

    When tomatoes are in season (August) I purchase a big box (sometimes 2) of Italian tomatoes and process them using the method described in the thread above but I also add spicy chili peppers.  I don’t have an exact recipe, I basically add whatever herbs I have in the garden (basilic, oregano, thyme) or even a dry mix from the pantry.  Salt to taste. A tiny bit of sugar... and lots of star anise.  Sometimes onions or shallots, garlic.





    Wow, beautiful pepper plant.


    As often as not, I will just simmer some herbs (usually oregano and basil) and some garlic in olive oil and then strain it and just use that, rather than the tomato sauce.  It works well for most of the pizzas we do.

    NOLA
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    paqman said:
    @northGAcock The only secret is Star Anise 👀

    Look up this old thread for the method:  https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186265/ot-homemade-pizza-sauce-with-san-marzano-tomatoes-from-my-garden

    When tomatoes are in season (August) I purchase a big box (sometimes 2) of Italian tomatoes and process them using the method described in the thread above but I also add spicy chili peppers.  I don’t have an exact recipe, I basically add whatever herbs I have in the garden (basilic, oregano, thyme) or even a dry mix from the pantry.  Salt to taste. A tiny bit of sugar... and lots of star anise.  Sometimes onions or shallots, garlic.



    Wow....beautiful plant. Thanks for the link. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,435
    paqman said:
    Once a year, I make a batch of arabiatta sauce (cooked) that I also use as pizza sauce.

    For everyday pizzas, I use Emma or Mutti canned pizza sauce.  Emma is pretty hard to beat.

    For « special » pizzas, I use hand crushed and drained San Marzanos with salt and olive oil.  The leftover juice makes the best bloody mary!
    @paqman how do you buy EMMA sauce ??  Went to their website and looks like its sold in canada . . do you order online?
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    NDG said:
    paqman said:
    Once a year, I make a batch of arabiatta sauce (cooked) that I also use as pizza sauce.

    For everyday pizzas, I use Emma or Mutti canned pizza sauce.  Emma is pretty hard to beat.

    For « special » pizzas, I use hand crushed and drained San Marzanos with salt and olive oil.  The leftover juice makes the best bloody mary!
    @paqman how do you buy EMMA sauce ??  Went to their website and looks like its sold in canada . . do you order online?
    It is a Canadian specialty brand, it is ridiculously cheap and good compared to other brands sold around here.  I am located in Canada 🤷‍♂️, not sure if and where it is sold in the US.  I only tried it because their parent company is the distributor of Caputo flour in Canada and I was pleasantly surprised.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • mickyb55
    mickyb55 Posts: 5
    I always cook. My method is to sweat garlic in a little olive oil add tinned tomatoes (I don’t think our fresh British tomatoes are up to the job) and reduce. I then add salt and black pepper. I think reducing the sauce this way intensifies the flavour. Cool the sauce before putting it on pizza though. The sauce is good for pasta as well.
    Cambridge, England.
    Large & MiniMax
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,583
    uncooked i use my canned marzanos from the garden. cooked i use canned pizza sauce and add an inch of good pepperoni that i run thru a grinder
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    fishlessman said:
    cooked i use canned pizza sauce and add an inch of good pepperoni that i run thru a grinder
    😳

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    @NDG

    Just paid 1$CDN per can (0.75$US) l.  At this price l, it is not worth the trouble to make my own and it is really good with nice chunks of tomatoes and good oregano flavor.  Ingredients are just tomatoes, oregano, basilic and salt.  When the border reopens, I can ship you a few cans.



    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    paqman said:
    @NDG

    Just paid 1$CDN per can (0.75$US) l.  At this price l, it is not worth the trouble to make my own and it is really good with nice chunks of tomatoes and good oregano flavor.  Ingredients are just tomatoes, oregano, basilic and salt.  When the border reopens, I can ship you a few cans.
    That's what I use. A ladle of Cento whole peeled tomatoes followed by a dusting of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and dried basil. Also some salt and black pepper.

    If I could get Emma, I'd probably just do that.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • theeggcellentchef
    theeggcellentchef Posts: 138
    has anyone else tried microwave assisted extraction of the spices before adding them to the sauce?  I did this time and the flavors came through more.  I put the oregano dried basil onion and garlic powder and added enough water to just wet them then microwaved at 30% power level for 2 minutes. Once they came to room temp I added them to the tomatoes. The oregano especially really benefited. 
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,368
    theeggcellentchef said:
    has anyone else tried microwave assisted extraction of the spices before adding them to the sauce?  I did this time and the flavors came through more.  I put the oregano dried basil onion and garlic powder and added enough water to just wet them then microwaved at 30% power level for 2 minutes. Once they came to room temp I added them to the tomatoes. The oregano especially really benefited. 
    I'd be interested in trying a side-by-side taste test, using water versus oil.  Hmmm.  

    “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”

                  - Mark Twain 

    Ogden, UT, USA


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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    Oregano is a spice that is better dried than fresh IMHO.  Microwave trick is interesting.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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