Can You Cure Bitter Tomato Sauce?

Your tip for March 7, 2006 - CAN YOU CURE BITTER TOMATO SAUCE?

Adding sugar doesn't help; longer cooking only makes it worse. Bitter tomato sauces happen for one of two reasons, the tomatoes taste bitter when raw and/or the sauce is overcooked.

Try experimenting with these emergency tactics.

Reheat two cups sauce with a half-teaspoon baking soda, which may neutralize the bitterness.
Or reheat a few cups, swirling in chunks of unsalted butter until it is barely melted and creamy.
See if the butter mellows out the bitterness.

If neither helps, toss the sauce. Don't subject yourself to a badsauce. Chalk it up to learning, and check for good tomatoes in the market next time.

Otherwise, try whole, canned tomatoes by Muir Glen, Red Gold or Hunt's. They won't let you down.

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National Crown Roast of Pork Day - March 7th

did you know???
March 7th is National Crown Roast of Pork Day
here's a recipe to help you celebrate... ENJOY!!

Crown Roast of Pork

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
a 12-rib crown roast of fresh pork (about 6 3/4 pounds)
Dirty Rice Stuffing (see recipe link below)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Creole mustard
flat-leafed parsley sprigs for garnish
cherry tomatoes for garnish

In a small bowl combine well the thyme, the salt, pepper to taste, and the oil and rub the mixture all over the pork, patted dry.

Arrange the pork on an oiled round of heavy-duty foil slightly larger than the bottom of the pork in the middle of a lightly oiled shallow roasting pan and fill the center of the crown with some of the stuffing, mounding it.

Roast the stuffed pork, the stuffing covered with another oiled round of foil, in a preheated 450 deg. F. oven for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 325 deg. F., and roast the stuffed pork for 2 1/4 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 160 deg. F., or for 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 170 deg. F., for well-done meat. In a 2-quart shallow baking dish bake the remaining stuffing in the 325 deg. F. oven during the last 30 minutes of the pork's roasting time.

Transfer the pork to a platter and let it stand for 15 minutes.

While the pork is standing add the wine to the roasting pan, deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup.

Add the cream, boil the mixture, stirring, until it is reduced to about 3/4 cup, and whisk in the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Discard the foil from the stuffing, arrange the parsley and the tomatoes decoratively around the pork, and serve the pork with the mustard sauce and the remaining stuffing.

... for photo and printer-friendly recipe go to: http://www.homebakedmemories.com/pf_pages/pfCrownRoastPork.htm

... for Dirty Rice Stuffing recipe go to: http://www.homebakedmemories.com/pages/HBKitchenDirtyRiceStuffing.htm

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