# How can I remove burnt taste in my meat sauce?



## TARPON (Apr 19, 2009)

Can anyone tell me how i can get the burnt taste out of my italian gravy? Yuk!


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## kitchenelf (Apr 19, 2009)

When rice burns you can lay some onion skins on top.  The ideal thing WOULD have been to pour it into another pan without disturbing the burnt part on the bottom.  If it's in your sauce I don't know that there's much that can be done...sorry.


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## Uncle Bob (Apr 19, 2009)

Hi Tarpon...Welcome to DC....

Sorry to hear about your gravy....It's almost an impossibility to get that "scorched" taste out of food....Depending on how bad (burned) the flavor is...you may have some success making another batch and mixing the two together...There's probably something you could add to the gravy to tone it down...but then you begin to lose the integrity of the gravy...It morphs into something else....Hope this helps......

Enjoy!


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## chiffonade (Apr 19, 2009)

Here are a couple of things to try...

If you're using a gas stovetop, make sure you're using a very heavy saucepan such as LeCreuset or a stainless steel pan with "sandwich" construction on the bottom. (This means there's a layer of copper sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel for heat distribution.) 

This may work for both gas and electric stovetops (heck it's worth a try!) - use a flame tamer. This device comes between the pan and the heat source and almost guarantees no "hot spots" in your saucepan.

If you're browning garlic, then pouring in tomatoes, etc., that could be your problem. I only saute garlic till translucent. I know Batali is fond of browning garlic but to me, it makes everything taste burned.

I know people are fond of simmering gravy until it's so strong it can take the paint off a Buick. I've never subscribed to that. I don't cook gravy past 1.5 hours after all the meat has been added. Extremely long cooking will evaporate way too much water out of your gravy and this might cause it to scorch.


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## Claire (Apr 20, 2009)

I'd try to turn it to chili, where you can maybe, and I do mean maybe, turn the "burned" into something closer to smoked.   But at some point you might need to give something up as a loss.


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## Constance (Apr 20, 2009)

I'm sorry, but once you have scorched it, there is nothing you can do. I know that because I scorched several things when I was learning how to cook, and I tried everything to fix it, and nothing did.

Chalk it up to experience, and cook it in a thicker pot at a lower heat next time, and stir frequently. Or put it in a large pasta bowl, cover with waxed paper, and cook a little at a time in your microwave, stirring each time before you restart. Or, put the sauce in your crock pot and let it simmer on low 4 hours or so, depending on your crock pot and when you're ready to eat.


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## msmofet (Apr 21, 2009)

chiffonade said:


> Here are a couple of things to try...
> 
> If you're using a gas stovetop, make sure you're using a very heavy saucepan such as LeCreuset or a stainless steel pan with "sandwich" construction on the bottom. (This means there's a layer of copper sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel for heat distribution.)
> 
> ...


 i agree with you. i like a nice "fresh" sauce. i feel the longer you cook it the more it looks and tastes like mud. when i add meat to my sauce like braciole i brown them and only cook in the sauce till just tender, like you said 1 to 1 1/2 hours. if i only have meatballs in my gravy, i brown and drain them add to sauce and cook even less time, like 30 minutes or i bring to boil, lower heat and simmer just till pasta is done. the longer the meatballs cook in the sauce the softer they get which i don't like.


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