Salsa Pomodora Siciliano - Tomato Sauce Sicilian Style

Instructions

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!

Author's Comments

Taken from "The Old Country Italian Cookbook", by Donald JP La Marca.

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