Need help with pizza sauce! pretty please 🍕

[onecheck]

Do you microwave extraction the Dorot frozen cubes too?

This is my "house sauce":

28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Wal Mart, Kroger or Smart & Final brand,
Code on the can is 5TPCG OL)
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1-2 tsp oregano
1-2 TB of olive oil
1/2 clove garlic or ½ Dorot frozen garlic cube or ¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground fennel (optional, but very recommended)
1/8 tsp (dash) crushed red pepper (optional, adds a zesty element)
½ Dorot frozen basil cube (optional)
 
 
Add salt and black pepper directly to the canned tomatoes.
 
Put the olive oil and all the spices into a small microwave safe container such as a ramekin or a coffee cup.  Ensure that all the spices are wet from being covered in olive oil.  Microwave the mixture for two minutes at 30% power. This is called “microwave extraction”.  This technique gives you the same effect of cooking the sauce, without the negative effects of cooking canned tomatoes.  The herbs and spices get infused into the oil, so you get the benefits of cooking the sauce without cooking the tomatoes.
 
Pour the oil/spice mix into a container with the tomatoes.  Close the container and shake the heck out of it.  It is ready to serve immediately,  but it is better if refrigerated overnight.  Note that pizza sauce should be applied to a pizza when it has reached room temperature.

I recently made a simpler variation of this with just the garlic, oregano (both in oil) and a full teaspoon of salt.  It was excellent IMO.

[jsaras]

Do you microwave extraction the Dorot frozen cubes too?

Yes. 

[onecheck]

Thanks for your reply.

 

Yes.

[jsaras]

Let me know your thoughts on the finished sauce.  Although I’ve moved in a more minimalist direction, a zesty/herby sauce works well with many styles of pizza.

[hammettjr]

This look reasonable? Seeing these posts has me looking to try mae again in a few hours. 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp EVOO, 2 minutes at 30%.

[jsaras]

I’d opt for more a bit more oil.

[jsaras]

This look reasonable? Seeing these posts has me looking to try mae again in a few hours. 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp EVOO, 2 minutes at 30%.

...or maybe not.  I think you’re OK on the oil amount.  The oil appeared white in the photo, which threw me off. 

[hammettjr]

Thanks. I had already gone ahead with that amount. Like the first time I tried mae, I'm not sure I noticed an difference.

[jsaras]

What’s your normal procedure with oregano?  Is it in the tomatoes?  Do you use oil?  Or do you add it post bake?  Just curious as to what you are comparing it to.

[hammettjr]

My usual is oregano in my sauce. No oil. I put it in a couple hours before bake. I have a thin sauce, whole peeled milled with a fine plate, and a 8 minute bake with a good sauce boil during the bake.

My amounts are:
1.25 cups of thin tomato
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/64 tsp cayenne
1/64 tsp garlic powder
1/64 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano

[jsaras]

My usual is oregano in my sauce. No oil. I put it in a couple hours before bake. I have a thin sauce, whole peeled milled with a fine plate, and a 8 minute bake with a good sauce boil during the bake.

My amounts are:
1.25 cups of thin tomato
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/64 tsp cayenne
1/64 tsp garlic powder
1/64 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Have you tried it with oregano, cayenne, garlic and onion in the oil?

[hammettjr]

Have you tried it with oregano, cayenne, garlic and onion in the oil?

I haven't! Just the oregano. Your question implies there'd be a benefit of trying it. The only drawback is it adds oil to my sauce, which I haven't been doing recently. But it's worth a shot.

[hammettjr]

Have you tried it with oregano, cayenne, garlic and onion in the oil?

Dude. Dude! DUDE!!

(Sorry, I'm a bit excited.)

So I just had dinner with a pie that had MAE of oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder.

But here's what I think made the real difference for me:

My wife asked me to bake her favorite cookies for her birthday. I was working on it this morning and I needed to soften some butter. 30 seconds in microwave at 30% and nothing really happened.

So I tried more than a minute at 50% and half the stick turned to liquid. I was surprised by how much of a difference it was going from 30 to 50%.

So I went to November's #2 sauce post. He recommends 30% for microwaves that are 1000 to 1400 watts. My microwave is 1000 watts, so the 30% I tried last week is in line.

BUT, he also gives a MAE range of 300-420 watts. So 40% for me is still in range. And I went with 40%.

Tldr: I tried MAE 2 minutes at 40% in my 1000 watt microwave and I may have blown my mind.

[Jon in Albany]

I'll have to try it. Never gone above 30% myself.

[jsaras]

Dude. Dude! DUDE!!

(Sorry, I'm a bit excited.)

So I just had dinner with a pie that had MAE of oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder.

But here's what I think made the real difference for me:

My wife asked me to bake her favorite cookies for her birthday. I was working on it this morning and I needed to soften some butter. 30 seconds in microwave at 30% and nothing really happened.

So I tried more than a minute at 50% and half the stick turned to liquid. I was surprised by how much of a difference it was going from 30 to 50%.

So I went to November's #2 sauce post. He recommends 30% for microwaves that are 1000 to 1400 watts. My microwave is 1000 watts, so the 30% I tried last week is in line.

BUT, he also gives a MAE range of 300-420 watts. So 40% for me is still in range. And I went with 40%.

Tldr: I tried MAE 2 minutes at 40% in my 1000 watt microwave and I may have blown my mind.

Everyone needs an Iron Chef trick in their arsenal :-)

[hammettjr]

I'll have to try it. Never gone above 30% myself.

Check the wattage on your microwave first. 30% x 1400 = 420.  We have a small microwave to save counterspace,  so I'm at 40% x 1000 = 400.

Thanks again Jonas...and thanks to onecheck for asking about your sauce on a thread that was over 5 years old...between that and my butter mishap, its funny how things work out.

[wb54885]

Dude. Dude! DUDE!!

...So I went to November's #2 sauce post...

This is such a good moment.

[HansB]

Check the wattage on your microwave first. 30% x 1400 = 420.  We have a small microwave to save counterspace,  so I'm at 40% x 1000 = 400.

Thanks again Jonas...and thanks to onecheck for asking about your sauce on a thread that was over 5 years old...between that and my butter mishap, its funny how things work out.

Do you have an inverter microwave?

[onecheck]

Pizza Shark. Is this the same as garlic flakes?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071CFWNS3/?tag=pmak-20

For store bought:

1 - 28OZ can of Sclafani ground tomatoes (The Sclafani made by B&G foods - the other Sclafani brand can't compare but the cans look very similar - Google B&G Foods and look at their product line - you'll see what their can looks like)
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry basil (or 3-4 chopped fresh basil leaves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry minced onion / onion flakes
1/4 tsp dry garlic flakes (the flakes look like little dry minced pieces of garlic and taste much better than garlic powder or granulated garlic which can be very bitter and over-powering.  Fresh garlic also seems too strong/bitter to me)
1/4 tsp fennel seed (whole seeds or you can take 1/4 tsp of whole seeds and then crush them before adding - I like them whole as they to give you a surprise every now and then when you take a bite that has one in it)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
 
Mix all together and let sit 24 hrs in the fridge.  Don't cook the sauce - it will cook on the pizza.

Those are a lot of ingredients but you'll notice the quantity of each is quite small.  You don't really want to taste powerful seasoning in NYS Sauce, the seasoning should just "enhance" a bit.  Of course, any ingredient is optional.  I'll sometimes leave the garlic out if I don't feel like having that hint of garlic or the fennel if I don't want that hint of flavor, etc.  Can also add 1/2 tsp of sugar if you feel the tomatoes are a bit acidic or increase to 1 tsp of sugar if you like a bit sweeter sauce.  All up to you but the above recipe is one I use quite a bit.  In my opinion, the B&G Sclafani tomatoes are just as good as commercial Stanislaus 7/11 ground tomatoes (some here claim they are even better).

[hammettjr]

Do you have an inverter microwave?

Don't think so. I have a cheap one.