Author Topic: Smoked Tomato Sauce  (Read 4160 times)

nikgregory

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Smoked Tomato Sauce
« on: October 05, 2015, 08:54:23 AM »
This year apparently has been a banner year for tomatoes at the farm that grows our vegs and I found myself with more tomatoes than I know what to do with. With 10 pounds of the 'maters sitting on the counter I had the nutty idea to smoke roast them (rather than oven roasted - which I did to another 10 pounds of tomatoes).

Take your time and enjoy my trials, tribulations and eventual joy and success. This made about 3 quarts of sauce.

The start:
  • 8 pounds Roma tomatoes halved and stems removed
  • 3 oz mequite chunks <-- this was too much prob 1.5 oz would be better
  • kosher salt
  • olive oil

The middle:
  • 2 pounds halved tomatoes with stems removed

The Finish:
  • 2 medium onions very finely diced
  • 6 cloves of garlic very finely minced
  • 1 tbls fresh sage finely chopped
  • 1 tbls fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Take the 8 pounds or tomatoes and lay cut side down on 1/2 sheet pan in a single layer.  Get the bright idea that this just might not fit into the #2 (it doesn't).
Scramble around for smaller jelly roll pans and settle on 2 pyrex baking dishes and the metal tray from your toaster oven.
Note to self to get some 1/4 sheet jelly roll pans.
Sprinkle kosher salt over the tops of the tomatoes
Drizzle Olive oil over the tops
Into the smoker @ 250 for 2-2.5 hours
Take out mmm...mmm... smells good
Take a taste... Starts out nice but ends bitter... Over smoked.

So what to do!
I still had two pounds of tomatoes to deal with that had not been cooked.
So take everything from the smoker transfer into a large roasting pan
Add 2 pounds of halved and stemmed tomatoes mix and pop into a 350F oven for 1-1.5 hours.

Take out of the oven and scratch head.  What is all this extra liquid?  This does not happen when oven roasting.  I suspect that the smoker retains a significantly larger amount of moisture than an over for two reasons 1) not as hot, 2) no real vent to emit moisture.

Now to the finish:
There is still some bitterness and gobs of tomato juice (and I use that term loosely) in the roasting pan so instead of whole roasted tomatoes, lets make a sauce.

Transfer all the contents of the roasting pan into a very large sauce pan.
Blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
Add the garlic, onion, rosemary and sage.
Simmer at low to medium heat till reduced by 1/4 to 1/2 stirring occasionally(about 1-2 hours).
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lessons learned:
  • Too much smoke is bad don't try and eyeball wood chunk amounts.
  • 1/2 Sheet pans don't fit into the #2
  • Stuff does not dry out as much in the smoker (this should have been a duh!)
  • Smoked/roasted marinara tastes really good.
Nik, NE Massachusetts, #2

elkins20

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2015, 08:37:41 PM »
Hey Gregory, This sounds like a good idea, Not sure about smoking the tomatoes though. Also was wondering where you are located as I am in Kansas City and my tomatoes did not do very good at all. I only ended with about 6 quarts of canned tomato sauce. I did pick about 15 more today and also about that many green ones. I have them in a brown paper sack so will get maybe another 5 quarts. I hope this will last me thru the winter. As will use one quart for spaghetti sauce. Also I have a post from divotmaker for you http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=999.0. And really would have liked to see some photos on your post.
Bill SI#1, SI#3, 2 Auber Pids, Cold Smoke Plate for the #3, Large Weber kettle, Smoky Joe Weber, and 2006 Harley softail deuce for stress relief,  from Kansas City, Missouri

jcboxlot

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2015, 08:53:40 PM »
Low and slow roma's are nice

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3418.msg27305#msg27305


I do this often for 2 adults and a 4 year old.   
\
Never tried smoked.


Smokin It #2.  Weber Genesis. Old Smokey charcoal.  Work from home antique tool dealer and living the dream.  Dad, Husband, Cook.  John~York PA

nikgregory

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2015, 09:25:41 PM »
Hey Gregory, This sounds like a good idea, Not sure about smoking the tomatoes though. Also was wondering where you are located as I am in Kansas City and my tomatoes did not do very good at all. I only ended with about 6 quarts of canned tomato sauce. I did pick about 15 more today and also about that many green ones. I have them in a brown paper sack so will get maybe another 5 quarts. I hope this will last me thru the winter. As will use one quart for spaghetti sauce. Also I have a post from divotmaker for you http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=999.0. And really would have liked to see some photos on your post.

(Nik... Gregory is my last name)
I am up in North East Massachusetts and we get our produce from a CSA in New Hampshire. (picadilly farms) Typically I will buy a bushel each year to process into sauces over the winter
- A tomato basil pesto
- A coarse roasted tomato sauce
- A strained and 'fine' tomato sauce.

This year we have all three pretty well covered (probably 2gals of each in the freezer) and I did not buy any extra AND we were getting more from the farm... So I was in an experimenting mood.

I figure I am going to use the sauce as a base for a bolognese or as part of a braising liquid.

Sorry about the lack of pictures all I have now is the stuff in a jar which is kind of boring.

I would say give the smoking a try (if you have extra) but cut the wood amount.

Since I am cruel, I have added a shot of me finishing off 50 pounds of chicken for a nieces wedding.
Nik, NE Massachusetts, #2

DivotMaker

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2015, 09:48:13 PM »
Looks like a great yard bird feast, Nik!!  Just not much better than chicken on the grill (except SI chicken, minus the crispy skin  ;) ).  Love your idea on tomatoes!  If you want to get them more "dried," get a James jerky dryer.  It removes the moisture, which is great for drying veggies, jerky, sausage, or anything you want to pull the moisture out of!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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jcboxlot

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2015, 10:59:10 PM »
A wedding with jeans on and a huge grill.  That's living the life!


Smokin It #2.  Weber Genesis. Old Smokey charcoal.  Work from home antique tool dealer and living the dream.  Dad, Husband, Cook.  John~York PA

elkins20

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Re: Smoked Tomato Sauce
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2015, 12:00:07 PM »
Hey Nik, Around here this summer tomatoes were going for $1.00 per tomato at the farmers market. I was kind of lucky that mine did produce enough to keep me in bacon and tomato sandwiches. And did get 5 or 6 quarts, right now am setting on about 25 tomatoes, and 15 large green ones in a brown paper sack. So should be able to get maybe 4 more quarts. The chicken looks awesome, hope you had good weather for the wedding.
Bill SI#1, SI#3, 2 Auber Pids, Cold Smoke Plate for the #3, Large Weber kettle, Smoky Joe Weber, and 2006 Harley softail deuce for stress relief,  from Kansas City, Missouri