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<\/p>\nIt so happens that I learned to make gravy from little old Sicilian ladies in Brooklyn when I lived there a million years ago.\u00a0 When I look on the internet for recipes for gravy (marinara), there’s all kinds of celebrity chef recipes that put all kinds of things in it that simply don’t belong there.\u00a0 It’s one of those elusive recipes that’s just never authentic because of all the dumb add ins.\u00a0 Like carrots.\u00a0 There’s no carrots in gravy.\u00a0 Or onions.\u00a0 Or celery.\u00a0 I mean, we’re not making soup.<\/p>\n
And then there’s the oregano.\u00a0 With marinara there are two distinct camps.\u00a0 The oregano camp and the no oregano camp.\u00a0 I’m firmly in the no oregano camp.\u00a0 Not every tomato is exactly the same in it’s level of acidity and sweetness.\u00a0 Consequently, oregano can make some tomatoes taste bitter.\u00a0 And sometimes not.\u00a0 The point is, why risk a bitter sauce?\u00a0 Just don’t.<\/p>\n
Then there’s the tomato battle.\u00a0 Paste tomatoes are preferred by just about everyone and canned is considered only if you’re buying San Marzano canned tomatoes.\u00a0 But we live in a modern era of counterfeit food items and canned “San Marzano” tomatoes often are not what they seem.\u00a0 And who would know the difference anyway?\u00a0 I don’t know anyone that could open a can of fake San Marzanos, taste it, and be like, “Oh.\u00a0 This can does not contain San Marzano tomatoes.”\u00a0 It’s laughable really.\u00a0 And since most of us don’t have days to make gravy and an acre of San Marzano tomatoes in our backyards from which to make said gravy, we all kind of have to deal with a can of crushed tomatoes.\u00a0 It’s totally fine and I keep a couple on hand in case of a sauce emergency.\u00a0 I, on the other hand, am a complete rebel and I use whatever tomatoes I like because my tomato palate extends far beyond the humble paste tomato and also because I grow a crap ton of tomatoes for the sole purpose of making gravy.\u00a0 Ok, and the occasional BLT.\u00a0 And caprese salads.\u00a0 And for fried greeen tomatoes.\u00a0 And for just eating off the vine with a little salt.\u00a0 You get the idea….I really like tomatoes and the spectrum of tomato flavors in heirlooms.\u00a0 This year my tomato bags include Purple Cherokees, Black Krims, Brandywines, Mortgage Lifters, Big Zacs, and a few others.<\/p>\n
So, what I do is grow as many as I can, core them with my handy dandy corer thingy, pop them into a freezer bag, suck out all the air, and jam them into my chest freezer.\u00a0 Then I take out two gallon bags of tomatoes, let them defrost, and drop them whole into my pot.\u00a0 The skins slip right off as I drop them in.\u00a0 I don’t even remove the seeds.\u00a0 I’m that lazy.\u00a0 I cook all the water out, and then proceed with the recipe.\u00a0 If you prefer a seedless concoction, scoop the seeds out during coring before freezing or simply press the cooked sauce through a sieve after it’s cooled.<\/p>\n
This recipe is for the basic gravy and it can be done with or without meat.\u00a0 Both versions can be used as a base for countless other sauces like bolognese or pizza sauce and spoonfuls can be dropped into soups and stews.\u00a0 And, of course, meatballs and Italian sausage can be added to both versions.<\/p>\n
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