Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/10/05

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Ragù
From: gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO)
Date: Tue Oct 5 19:23:37 2004

J. Codispoti writes in part:
> 
> The ingredients include ground beef, pancetta
> (bacon), onion, carrot, celery, beef stock, tomato
> concentrate, butter or oil, salt, pepper.
> There are many variations to this basic recipe.
> 
> Other than mushrooms I don?t like vegetables in
> pasta sauces. I make my rag? with equal parts of
> beef, lamb and pork with no veggies at all other
> than tomato sauce.
> 

Hi Joe,

Every year, over a weekend or two, we convert 300 to 400 lbs of tomatoes 
into tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce and then pressure can it all.

I used to do the whole lot myself from selecting and purchasing ingredients 
to peeling tomatoes and cooking the whole lot for about 18 hours, then hand 
straining. Long, slow cooking times are required for massive quantities. For 
the last years two or more neighbors show up to help thereby earning their 
share.

While I would agree no visible veggies belong in a true tomato or spaghetti 
sauce, the French Chef's holy trinity of onion, celery and carrot are 
absolutely essential to taste. We cook the mixture with these three (and 
other) ingredients then press and strain them out prior to canning.  

Regards,

Greg