Salsa Pomodora Siciliano - Tomato Sauce Sicilian Style
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 md. onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans tomato paste
- 2 cans Italian plum tomatoes, peeled
- 1/2 lb. lean pork (one piece)
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 tbsp. fresh basil,minced
- 1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
- 4 to 5 bay leaves
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and then brown pork lightly.
- Remove pork and set aside.
- To the hot oil add the chopped onion and minced garlic.
- Cook until translucent, but not browned.
- Add the tomato paste and the bay leaves, and fry the paste, stirring constantly.
- Incorporate the onion and garlic into the paste as you stir it.
- The paste will burn quickly, so keep stirring, and keep the heat fairly low, just to keep the paste simmering.
- (This will take any bitterness from the tomatoes!)
- Once all the onion and garlic is incorporated into the paste, and it is fried (about 6-7 minutes), add the Italian plum tomatoes, through a course sieve.
- Keep rubbing the tomatoes through the sieve until all the pulp is gone into the pot and you are left with a dry seed mass in the sieve.
- Throw away the seed mass!
- Add one can of water for each can of paste.
- (Use the paste can as a measuring tool!)
- Then add all the remaining ingredients and place the pork piece back into the sauce.
- (Gravy as we called it as I was growing up!)
- Lower the heat until the pot is barely simmering.
- Simmer that way for 2-3 hours, stirring frequently.
- Stir from the bottom up and frequently.
- If the sauce gets to thick, add some water; if it is not thickening up enough, remove the lid and turn up the heat slightly.
- Stir from the bottom to avoid scorching the sauce.
- When done, there will be no raw tomato taste and no evidence of the onion nor garlic, just a smooth red sauce.
- Remove the pork and slice as a side dish or reserve for future use.
- Use the tomato sauce on any dish calling for tomato sauce -- or spagetti sauce if you are a non Italian!
extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, italian plum tomatoes, lean pork, oregano, fresh parsley, fresh basil, mushrooms, bay leaves
Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/17996 (may not work)