Don Pepino pizza sauce

[PizzaBrewer]

I know most canned pizza sauces aren't very good but this one is an exception.

http://www.donpepino.com/

Great fresh tomato taste and thick texture.  I usually eat  half the can with a spoon!

---Guy

[Steve]

Just ordered a sample kit for $10 

[Arthur]

I would agree.  I used this sauce a couple of years ago after going through my supermarkets looking for pizza ingredients (giant, safeway, fresh fields) and this was certainly the best of the bunch.  I will have to add that once you start making your own sauce using either san marzano tomatoes or one of the pizza shop sauces (6 in 1, 7/11, bonta, full red) it's hard to go back to ready made can/jar.

[PizzaBrewer]

I would agree.  I used this sauce a couple of years ago after going through my supermarkets looking for pizza ingredients (giant, safeway, fresh fields) and this was certainly the best of the bunch.  I will have to add that once you start making your own sauce using either san marzano tomatoes or one of the pizza shop sauces (6 in 1, 7/11, bonta, full red) it's hard to go back to ready made can/jar.

Hi:  I have used some of the better tomatos out there:

(http://members.aol.com/usedcdguy/tomato)

But I've never been 100% happy with the sauce I make from them.  I've tried lots of variations but still can't capture that elusive tomato-y character I'm looking for.  I'll have to try the 6 in 1 and the others  in my quest!

Thanks for the suggestions!

---Guy

[Pete-zza]

PizzaBrewer,

I'm very impressed with your collection of pizza ingredients, especially the tomatoes. I haven't tried the Pomi's but I have tried all the others in your photo. Before I discovered the San Marzanos, I used the Muir Glen. Then, when I discovered the Escalon tomatoes, I went to them. I still use the San Marzanos for Neapolitan style pizzas, although I sometimes combine them with the 6-in-1s from Escalon. For the NY style pizzas, I use the 6-in-1s mainly.

It's been a long time since I have found the need to use any canned or bottled sauces, but I discovered that Muir Glen has a pretty decent canned pizza sauce that I used in a pinch when I didn't have access to the other tomatoes. Of the bottled sauces, I look for those that use San Marzanos, if possible, or those that have the fewest ingredients listed on the label and, preferably, no tomato paste or corn syrup.

Peter

[Arthur]

Actually, I love Pomi (strained tom) for pasta sauce.  I had it in italy years ago and it's one of my favorites for pasta (with a little oil and garlic).  Muir Glen is also excellent for pasta sauce - also highly rated by Cooks Illustrated.

As for pizza sauce, I know what you are talking about - it's very difficult to be happy with your sauce.

I can only say that the closest I've come to New York Style (street pizza) sauce is mixing Bonta with 6 in 1 and water.  I know it doesn't sound right to mix in water, but it's too thick otherwise.   Having said that, I still prefer using a mixture of san marzano tomatoes and Bonta.  It doesn't taste like New York style, but it has it's own "elite pizza" taste.

Get your hands on Bonta, 6 in 1, Full Red and experiment.  Let us know what you think.

[PizzaBrewer]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Looks like I'll be ordering more tomatoes.

A local pizzeria has what I consider to be a perfect pizza sauce.  Despite over 10 years as a customer and becoming friendly with the staff I still haven't found out what they use.  It's very simple but absolutely vivid in its tomato flavor.

I might have to do some late-night dumpster diving to find out.

---Guy

[PizzaBrewer]

Steve--did you get your sample pack yet?  What do you think?

---Guy

[pizzaluvr]

I've used Don Pepinios in the past, but after making homemade, I don't care for it anymore.  They still carry it at my Safeway...  Just got my 1/2 case of 6n1 tomatoes by UPS today!   Bought some fresh mozzerella,  OO flour.  Waiting on my new pizza stone I ordered (1"thick). 

As far as homemade sauces go,  I really like the bite that a splash of redwine vinegar gives to it.  Also,  might want to throw in a bay leaf or two in addition to the basil and/or oregano, etc.

Mark

[Steve]

Steve--did you get your sample pack yet?  What do you think?

---Guy

It was "OK" for a canned sauce. I still prefer my homemade versions.

[PizzaBrewer]

Steve:

How are the Sclafani products (whole peeled, pureed and crushed)?  I've never tried them.

[Meredith]

I laughed like crazy when I read this - I order Don Pepino by the case 2x per year... my boyfriend drinks the stuff it is so good... 1/2 can goes on pie, 1/2 can for tasting...

[PizzaBrewer]

A few days ago I was in Connecticut and stopped in a grocery store.  They had a number of Sclafani products, Sclafani and Don Pepino are the same company.  Anyway I got Peeled Plum Tomatoes (San Marzano style, from Chile), quick-crushed (from Italy), and homestyle crushed.  The Homestyle is what I was hoping to find--it is the same tomato and crush as the Don Pepino sauce, with only a bit of salt added.  Tasted side-by-side with the Don Pepino sauce you can really taste the dried herbs in the Don Pepino. 

The Sclafani Homestyle crushed is the perfect product to use in making a pizza sauce.  It has that tomato-y flavor I love and you can add your own herbs, oil, salt, etc.  I've not yet tried the Stanislaus or Escalon products but I find it hard to believe there's a better canned tomato product than this Sclafani.  The quick crushed (Italian) is a different product altogether and I haven't yet tried the Chilean "San Marzano style".

Yes, it's eat-out-the-can good.

---Guy

[Aaron]

I picked up acan at a sams club in NY (buffalo area) for 3$ and change for a number 10 can,not a bad sauce for a fully prepared base.
I almost flipped when I saw the price of stella mozz at $9.54 for 5lbs,Even including exchange that is less than Half price for what we pay in Canada for cheese.They also had 25lb bags of flour that said high gluten,ideal for pizza making for 5$(sorry dont remember brand.Also they had at least 3 different types of peperoni(hormel and two upmarket ones).I would have to say it appears to be fairly easy to find some good(albeit not the greatest products so easily)in the big box stores.It is a different story here in Canada,our products seem alot more costly.
Aaron
Dizzy Pig Bbq North

[scott r]

I have been testing out the Sclafani tomatoes, and have found them to be similar to their equivalent products by Cento.  They make a few styles including some made with Italian tomatoes, some made with American tomatoes, and some made with real San Marzano's.  All are some of the best of each particular type that I have found in normal grocery stores.

[lilbuddypizza]

Yesterday, I made a pie, and this time I kept it simple. I opened a #10 can of extra heavy tomato puree(San Benito), and tasted a spoonful and damn, if it wasn't extremely tasty. I just added a bit of oregano and garlic powder and black pepper...that's it! Sometimes I overcomplicate things so much, I miss the basics. The simple taste is sometimes the best. (Like just using salt and pepper on a steak, instead of all the marinades and rubs.)

[scott r]

I picked up a case of San Benito diced a few months ago because it is used by a pizzeria here in Boston that has a really great sauce. They combine them with the Stanislaus tomato strips for a very chunky fresh tasting sauce.  Almost every review I see of the place has mention of the amazing sauce, and the sauce even got mention (in a non pizza related story) on 60 minutes! They were interviewing a famous entrepreneur who's recipe for success was to do one thing in your business better than anyone else and you will be successful (there must have been more to it now that I think of it). Anyhow, He walked around his area stopping in the successful businesses around his neighborhood talking about why they were doing so well.  The hardware store was all about customer service, the pizzeria was all about the sauce, etc.   

I have found the San Benito to be a good substitute for the Escalon/Stanislaus California tomatoes, but still not quite as good.  I would say it is just one step down from them, and very similar to Pastene in quality.  I could be wrong, but after doing my taste tests my suspicion was that the pizzeria was blending to save money (although the San Benito is very close in price to Stanislaus).

The thing that also originally got me interested in the San Benito is that on the case itself (but not on the can if I remember) it says that they are "Fresh Pack" tomatoes. I have read on the PMQ website that Stanislaus and Escalon are the only two US tomatoes that are really fresh pack, so I am not sure if this is really true.  Come to think of it I think I have seen those words on some other cans I have opened from my local grocery store.  I wonder if it is a catch phrase that marketing people use (and abuse) that they can somehow fudge, or if the PMQ info was wrong.

[PizzaBrewer]

Since I started this thread I have tried many more brands/types of tomatoes.  My favorite is the Alta Cucina from Stanislaus.  I've tried equivalent products from Escalon, and find they have a very different flavor from the Stanislaus.

The range of products each tomato packer makes is astounding.  In my local pizza supply cash and carry there must be about 15 different Stanislaus products (2 different whole peeled, several chopped and strips, crushed, tomato sauce, at least 5 pizza sauces, etc.).  I haven't tried them all yet.

I still pick up a few cans of the Sclafani crushed tomatoes when I'm in CT.  It is a good, quick, easy product to make a tasty sauce.

The more I explore the world of tomatoes the more products I find...

---Guy