Chicago deep-dish for a tomato hater

[gigglbx]

I am traveling to Chicago and want to try deep dish pizza but I am seeing that some of the pizzas are made with an uncooked sauce. I only like tomatoes that have been cooked. Are there any authentic deep dish pizza joints that use a cooked sauce? Os is that no longer considered authentic?

[gordeaux]

Is this true? Uncooked sauce? Where?

[rjka]

Malnati's uses crushed uncooked tomatoes (uncooked prior to the pie being baked)

[chicgail]

You guys, isn't it uncooked CANNED tomatoes - which were cooked before they went into the can - and then get cooked again on the pizza?

[Deacon Volker]

Yeah I'm a bit confused by some of the question too. It goes on the pie. The pie gets cooked. Therefore, it's cooked tomatoes.

We only offer our deeps with the tomato sauce, not sure how the other bases would work since the sauce goes on top of the pie.

[gordeaux]

But they are, in fact, cooked BEFORE they even go onto the pie.

[sunshine842]

exactly...

I'd heartily suggest the OP try it. If gigglbx can't deal with the tomatoes, scrape 'em off (as I mentioned upthread) -- they just sit on top of all the gooey goodness underneath.

[gigglbx]

Thanks for all of the info. I will try it and let you know.

[gordeaux]

If these tomatoes are from a can, they are cooked.

[rjka]

Yes technically, but there is a difference between a pie with tomatoes from a can that are crushed or chopped and put on a pie and baked, and taking those same tomatoes, cooking them into a sauce in a saucepan and then putting the sauce on a pie.

My pizza cookbook, American Pie by Peter Reinhart, calls the first an uncooked tomato sauce, because it can be made from fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes.

[gigglbx]

thanks for spelling it out for me, rjka

[gordeaux]

Gotcha.
Never heard of canned tomatoes as "uncooked." I get it tho.

[sunshine842]

Gino's uses cooked sauce, and I think Uno/Due do.

[ferret]

Anyone copying the original uses an uncooked crushed tomato "sauce." It's just the way it's always been done.

[sunshine842]

I think you're going to have a hard time convincing many people that Gino's and Uno are not traditional.

[ferret]

I believe their sauces are uncooked (at least Uno's is, the last time I was at a Gino's I didn't have pizza).

[chicgail]

Unless something has changed Unos and Dues use tomatoes, not sauce.

[sunshine842]

okay, then I'll stand corrected on Uno.

to the OP -- it's crushed tomatoes -- in a fairly thin layer on the top of the pie, and It's pretty well cooked by the time it's been in the oven long enough to cook

Even if you don't consider that "cooked enough" -- scrape it off -- it's truly just the top layer, and yeah, Chicago Deep Dish is worth it, even if you don't eat the tomatoes.

[ferret]

Well, it IS cooked in the oven with the rest of the pizza. Some places will do pesto or alfredo sauce substitutions but that's pretty non-traditional for pan pizza (although excellent on thin).