i can remember watching my mom start the sauce, chopping onions, browning meat.
i still start the sauce that way.
i don't measure
mom never did either
you don't have to
starting the sauce is a good way to introduce folks to cooking without recipes.
even if you are more comfortable with recipes, it's always good to have ideas and methods to use without, you know....just in case
in our house a lot of cooking starts with chopping the onions, and smashing the garlic
heating the sauté pan over medium heat adding cold oil and adding onions.......stirring until they are translucent and lightly caramelized
how many onions
start with half a medium
how much garlic? start with three cloves smashed
you gently add garlic......never brown or burn it
then add the meat and brown that (add some salt or it tastes flat) how much meat?
how big is your pot? how many folks are you going to serve or around here........how much meat do you have?
we'll say about a pound ok?
more or less
usually less (maybe about the size of a large grapefruit)
but that's a round figure
brown it up nicely and pour off a bit of the fat
add some puree
homemade is great, a good canned is good too
add enough to cover the meat a few inches
stir it up well
now add some of the other seasonings.... here it's oregano, not too much
basil..... A LOT
parsley a bit, maybe more then the oregano
i like to make sauce in a 6 quart stock pot so it works out to about 4 quarts of puree or three of puree and one of crushed tomatoes
a couple grinds of fresh peppercorns
cover and cook on low stirring occasionally............ you want slightly bubbling.....not seething cauldron of molten red oil
i simmer for about 1/2 hour if that's all i got..... an hour is better
a dash of wine is a good thing for the sauce towards the end....
you got the sauce made
and didn't measure a thing did you!
congratulations
doing a pot roast?
how many folks? add one carrot, one potato, and a quarter of an onion per person at least
add a stalk of celery chopped for the pot
and a couple cloves of garlic smashed
how much meat? how much you got? if you have more then you need........ leftovers are great
brown the meat in a bit of oil or fat
then layer the veggies add the meat on top and add some stock or water and wine to just cover the veggies and a tiny bit of the bottom of the meat... add a cover and bake it in the oven
you can smell when it's done
but check it about 20 minutes into it
normally i start baking everything at about 350.....
now roasts need low and slow......so 200 to 250...... a nice beef roast roasted slow and low is a beautiful thing.... add some water under it and some garlic power to the water .......... you'll have dripping in there later and you can make the gravy if you'd like
learn to check smell for doneness....... if you use a thermometer to check meat's internal temp remember what the SMELL is...... after all this time i don't use a thermometer ( ok i only used one once when i was a bride) i trust the smell. it will smell good and finished and you will be hungry
the french start stuff with onions and celery and i think garlic
we start with onions and garlic...... chop the onions smash the garlic
heat the olive oil
caramelize the onions... it doesn't' really matter what kind of onions...... or how much, if they are big....use a half, if they are small use two
then you brown the meats....... then add a liquid if using (and i almost always do use a liquid even if i am 'dry' roasting)
lots of liquid makes soup
a little bit makes gravy or sauce
now if instead of making sauce you want say pork chops
you still start with the onions and garlic....... do maybe a half an onion per chop
dredg the chops in flour and then brown them
pour off most of the fat
add some water and stock add back in the onions, sprinkle with the dredging flour cover and simmer on low.... it'll make onion gravy, and will cook the chops
serve over rice or noodles.......add a salad
what do you think so far?
go ahead and try making sauce..... TASTE it as you add stuff
tell me what you think? does it need more oregano..... more basil?
make pasta and eat, use a GOOD cheese that you grate at home fresh before you eat
that's the real secret to cooking..... tasting
you must taste it as you go
have a spoon and a tiny bowl ready and taste
now how about chicken breasts??
ps: i saw this video and i am going to try and embed it ......... i loved it
I wish more people knew how to cook like this. I was talking to a young mother today, who said she and her 2 year old eat lunch out at fast food places most days. Mostly just because there is nothing in her fridge that she feels like eating. It boggles my mind to think about the time and money she is spending for food that doesn't taste that good and isn't that healthy. This is very common in my neighborhood, and then they turn around and eat dinner out as well. I just don't understand it.
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