Genovese Italian Sauce
4 cans (28 ounces each) whole plum tomatoes
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup imported Italian extra virgin olive oil
3 medium
onions, chopped fine
6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and
chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2
teaspoon oregano
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
2 bottles (3 ounces each) of concentrated beef extract (BV, the beefer upper,
available at major supermarkets)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry red wine
Spray bottom of an 8-quart stock pot with cooking spray. Drain tomatoes. Pour
juice into stock pot. Remove seeds from tomatoes. Process tomatoes in a food
processor until they are thick, but not soupy. Add tomatoes to stock pot, bring
to a simmer and cook over medium heat.
In a separate saucepan
bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add dried porcini mushrooms; remove from heat
and let soak for 30-40 minutes. Drain mushrooms into bowl and pour juice into
stock pot. Process mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped (or you
can grind the mushrooms in a meat grinder.) Mushrooms should not be mushy.
Saute chopped onions in the butter and olive oil until they begin to turn
golden. Add onions and any drippings from the pan to the stock pot. Add chopped
garlic, basil, oregano, tomato paste and beef concentrate to stock pot. Let the
sauce simmer, stirring frequently.
After 3 hours add the wine.
Simmer 1 more hour. Taste the sauce as it simmers, adjust seasonings to taste.
Serves 16.
Cook's note: Salt may not be needed because of the
beef concentrate. Taste the sauce as it cooks and salt accordingly. Also, if the
sauce tastes acidic add a shredded carrot to the pot and simmer until very soft.
The carrots cook down and you won't know they are in the sauce. Sauce can be
stored for up to one week in the refrigerator or frozen for six months.
