I apologize for the delay. Since we last spoke Boston
has suffered three more snowstorms and Valentine’s Day. We also have some
prior business to attend to. I am lucky to say my pathology reports came back:
I do not have cancer. So while winter remains in a perpetual standstill,
I no longer need to be.
I originally thought I might discuss some things I learned during
this ambiguity, but the vibe around Boston has not exactly been
uplifting. And mentally I cannot drag anything weighty through the snowdrifts.
So I am going to discuss tomato sauce.
My boyfriend, Brett, and I were snowed in—yet again—two
weeks ago. Since he is a good human who loves to cook meaty, spicy stews
we did the most romantic thing imaginable.
We went to a beer tasting for Valentine’s Day. Bought
a few growlettes, including one named Your
Possible Pasts. Decided to spend the next 48-hours in my one-bedroom North
End apartment. Cooked and consumed a pound and a half of meat. And did
not kill each other.
Instead, we made a velvety stew of spicy peppers and pork
shoulder. Which was delicious. But I am not here to talk about melty pig
today. If you live anywhere other than Southern California, you might be
up for something a little less taxing at the moment. And since we are supposed
to get more snow on Sunday, might as well keep things simple and have hot pasta for
dinner.
I promised I would not reveal the origins of this
recipe. Suffice to say it came from a
friend of a friend of a friend who has a very successful restaurant. I’ve
doubled the tomatoes and halved the garlic and oil, among a few other tweaks.
So it is likely this person who shall remain nameless would no longer even
recognize it. No matter, a promise is a promise.
It has become my
go-to sauce recipe. It doesn’t require
hours of prep, nor does it disappoint.
Ever. It’s one of those priceless things you happen upon, that you
don’t know how you ever lived without.
Kind of like
finding someone who can tolerate you for 48-hours in a snowstorm.
Spicy Oil Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
2-28 ounce cans of whole peeled plum tomatoes
¼ cup canola oil
3 to 4 small dried chiles (preferably
chile de Arbol or Thai chile), minced
2 small dried chiles, whole
3 to 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 scant tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste
Instrucitions:
In a food processor, puree the plum
tomatoes until smooth. Heat a large
saucepot on medium; add the canola oil and minced chilies. Cook until the
peppers start to smell fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute,
taking care not to let the slices burn.
Add the pureed tomatoes and remaining
whole chiles; stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and the honey. Add a few pinches of salt. Cook on medium heat until the sauce comes
together and thickens slightly, about 20 to 30 minutes; turn the heat down if
it starts to wildly splatter. Stir in another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and
add additional salt, as needed.
Makes about two quarts
Notes:
-This is a spicy sauce. Reduce the
amount of chiles if you are sensitive to heat.
-I prefer Muir Glen tomatoes and choose
to puree them because I feel it makes a better sauce.
