Help with crockpotted "red gravy"

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
A friend will be spending a couple of nights a week with me for awhile, and, since we both work relatively late on Tuesday nights, I am hoping to use my crockpot more this fall/winter.

I know crocks run hotter nowadays, but I will leave for work at 11 a.m. and she will be home about 6 p.m., so most stuff should be okay.

First up, I want to make a spaghetti sauce using these ingredients. Need help with the quantities, and any other additions.

(I have a large oval crock)

Pork chops
Italian sausages
Green pepper
Onion
Mushrooms
Garlic
Canned tomatoes

How many/much? What else? On low for 7 hours?

Thanks in advance!

Lee
 

homecook

New member
Sorry, I can't help with the quantities but I make spaghetti sauce in the crockpot all the time any more. You'll need to cock the lid so the sauce will thicken. If you keep the lid on the moisture will stay in and it will be soup.....I also cook it on low for about 10 hours.
That's just been my experience.....
 

Phiddlechik

New member
Yep, tilt the lid (or set a couple of wooden spoons across the top and put the lid on those), to thicken. I've also done this, on high for the afternoon. As for amounts, look at a recipe. Brown the meat, put in the slowcooker. Then in the same pan, saute the veggies, add some tomato paste and let that caramelize a bit, put that stuff in. Then put the can of tomatoes (I like crushed) over the top.
Depending on the flavor of the sausage (if it's hot, mild, really flavorful, bland), add some Italian seasoning (your choice).
I just did a google, found lots of recipes...
 
Just a question - wouldn't it be better & safer to cook it on low with the lid on while no one is home, & then have the friend, when she returns around 6 p.m., tilt or remove the lid & put the cooker on high until dinnertime? Frankly, I'd be more than a little leery of leaving the crockpot on with the lid tilted all day & into the evening with no one around to keep an eye on it. Crockpots cook so high these days (even on low), that with the lid tilted there's always a possibility of it cooking dry after an all-day run.
 

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
I would leave the lid on - mine actually has a built in slight gap anyway, so I need lots of fluid. You can always transfer it into a saucepan and reduce it a bit faster just before eating. We have also been known to use a thickener on crockpot gravy when I have cooked a joint in it.
 

Phiddlechik

New member
Yep, Breezy, you are right.... oops. I make sure my stuff in the slow cooker is bubbling before I serve it. Sometimes I will let the extra liquid evaporate, then put it back on to make sure.
 

homecook

New member
I don't know how hot Lees' crockpot cooks on low but if I put the sauce in at 11 and it was turned to high at 6 it wouldn't be thick at all. I believe I have the same large oval one that Lee does and by no means would anything boil dry especially if it was filled at least 2/3 full. I've let mine go for 10 hours and sometimes it's still doesn't thicken even with the lid tilted.

Maybe do it during the night and turn it off before going to work and put it on high when the friend gets home??
 

Phiddlechik

New member
or use more tomato paste instead of just tomatoes. Paprika also helps with thickening. Then stir in a bit of the starchy pasta water at the end.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Oh, this is good conversation, everyone - thanks!

Yes, Phiddle, I will make sure to put in tomato paste, too!

Lee
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
Lee, this is my sauce that I make on the stove, but you could make it on the stove then transfer it to the crock pot to cook down. As was said before, brown the meat, drain off the grease and transfer it to the crock pot with the sauce and your green peppers and mushrooms. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce
From the Kitchen of: Joe Valencic​
Makes about 3 quarts​

Ingredients:

2T Olive Oil
3 Cloves of garlic – minced
1/2C Sweet onion – diced
1 ea. 29 oz. can Tomato Puree plus (1) can of water
1 ea. 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
2 ea. 14 oz. can Diced Tomatoes plus (1) can of water
2 ea. 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
1/2C Brown Sugar
2T Parsley flakes
1T Dried Basil
1T Dried Oregano
1t Onion Powder

Directions:

Heat oil in the bottom of an 8qt sauce pan and sauté the diced onions and garlic until translucent. Add all the rest of the ingredients, bring it to a boil then immediately turn down the heat to a simmer for 4-6 hours. Leave lid offset on pan to prevent splatter in the stove, but open enough for the sauce to cook down. After 1/2 hour adjust seasonings to your taste.

Optional: You can make this a meat sauce by sautéing ground beef or Italian sausage with onions & garlic until browned and crumbled. Then follow the directions as listed above.

Cool sauce and put into freezer containers sized for your families needs.
You can also can this no-meat sauce using the 30 minute water bath method. Use pressure canning method if you add meat to this recipe. Always follow the instructions that came with your canner.
 
A friend will be spending a couple of nights a week with me for awhile, and, since we both work relatively late on Tuesday nights, I am hoping to use my crockpot more this fall/winter.

I know crocks run hotter nowadays, but I will leave for work at 11 a.m. and she will be home about 6 p.m., so most stuff should be okay.

First up, I want to make a spaghetti sauce using these ingredients. Need help with the quantities, and any other additions.

(I have a large oval crock)

Pork chops
Italian sausages
Green pepper
Onion
Mushrooms
Garlic
Canned tomatoes

How many/much? What else? On low for 7 hours?

Thanks in advance!

Lee

First, get to know your crockpot - i.e. how quickly it cooks, settings, etc. If you are unsure, follow the manufacturers' directions. The shape of the pot wont matter for sauce. Unless you are at home, I wouldn't prop the lid up. (I have never done that w/ my pot. I have used a thickening agent at the end for saucy dishes.) My Rival has a high (for a certain amount of hours), low (for a certain amount of hours), & then it goes to a warming setting. Food is usually "cooked" in my model in less than 5 hours, sometimes 4 hours.

If you don't have a switch to warming setting, you might use a timer to shut it off. I would make it ahead while you are at home, freeze & reheat.

ETA: I think the pork chops & sausage will leave you with a greasy/fatty sauce. You might want to go w/ a defatting cup. If you use canned tomatoes, I would drain them first.

Since tomatoes are the "star" of the dish, I would use the best you can find & peel & deseed. If you go w/ canned, try San Marzanos or Muir Glen:

http://www.muirglen.com/products/default.aspx
 
Last edited:

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I am Italian and grew up with my mom making gravy. She did it on the stove. I have one tip for you ALWAYS USE FRESH HERBS, GARLIC AND ONION. It makes a world of difference in flavor. The only exception is I DO use some dry oregano AND fresh oregano. Dry gives an intense oregano flavor and I add a bit in the begining along with the other fresh herbs and spices. Towards the end of cooking I usually taste and the add a bit of ripped fresh herbs to give it a little fresh flavor boost.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Well, I made the sauce today, using a lot of advice given to me by everyone, and it turned out fantastic!

Didn't follow a recipe, but here's what I did.

Browned 6 plump sweet Italian sausages; pricked them to release some grease, but there wasn't much.

Cut up 1 1/2 green peppers, 2 yellow onions, 8 cloves of garlic, some fresh basil, thyme, oregano.

Put the vegs on the bottom, then two fat, raw pork chops and the sausages.

Mixed a 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes, with one can of tomato paste and 1/2 a jar of Barilla sauce. Added dried pizza seasoning (it has red pepper flakes) and the fresh herbs to the sauce. Stirred and poured it over all.

Set on low for 10 hours.

I got home 8 hours later (my roommate had to work late) and the house smelled wonderful!!!

I took off the lid and kicked the heat up to high for another hour. PERFECT!!!

I didn't take a photo, but we were both tickled pink at the taste of this sauce!

Had some fresh French bread with seasoned olive oil for dunking and we were in heaven!

Thank you all for your help!

Lee
 
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