"Pit Master" Pizza

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 21, 2009
Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and over
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 40-45 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2

I am calling this the pit master because I originally intended to use grilled pork or chicken for this pizza. But pulled pork just seemed so much better! I made a new BBQ sauce just for this pizza's sauce and it was so good I am going to use it for some grilled chicken this weekend! This is a great pizza for those of us that love BBQ as much as we love pizza! I hope you enjoy!

(For instructions on how to make your own sourdough pizza skin check posting dated 7/7/09.)

Ingredients:
Toppings
1/3-1/2 cup Mojo Cubano pulled pork (check post for 9/29/09)
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 large red vine sweet mini pepper (chopped)
1 large yellow vine sweet mini pepper (chopped)
1 large orange vine sweet mini pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup sweet onions (Juliane)
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (diced)
8 oz fresh mozzarella (shredded)
1/3 cup smoked Gouda (shredded)
1/2 cup Jalapeno jack (shredded)

Sauce
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Chipotle peppers from a 7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (rinsed under water for 1-2 minutes and then chopped)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup root beer
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp liquid smoke (mesquite)

Crust
1 portion of sourdough pizza dough check posting for 7/7/09 or pre-made crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Tossing dough
What works best for me is I strongly throw the ball of dough down on a solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper until it is large and flat enough for me to easily balance on top of both of my fists. Then I make an X with my arms keeping my fists close together (backhand to back hand, the dough atop of them both) and I fling the dough upwards with my fingers as I simultaneously bring my arms quickly parallel (palm to palm) about 3-4 inches apart. As the dough falls I remake my fists and catch the dough atop them again in the X position and repeat until the dough has formed a 12-14 inch crust.

(Alternately you can lay dough on a solid flat surface covered with wax paper and squish flat with hands. Roll into a ball and slam the dough down onto your solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper. Using your fist mush the dough down repeatedly as if you were punching it softly but firmly (this helps get any air bubbles out of it.) Now using your finger tips press and stretch dough until you have formed a 12-14 inch circular pizza skin (you can also make an easier rectangle skin.)

Sauce
In a small sauce pan warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, Chile powder and cumin and cook for 30 seconds while constantly whisking. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered stirring often for 5 minutes (or until thickened.)

Pizza
Mix together rosemary, bell pepper and sweet peppers in a small bowl.

Mix together smoked Gouda and jalapeno jack cheese in a small bowl.

Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet and lay skin on to it. Spread sauce evenly up to about an inch away from the edge of the crust (I find using a pastry spatula works great for spreading tomato sauce.) Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the sauce, then spread pork over mozzarella evenly and then sprinkle with your bell pepper mixture. Now arrange sweet onion pieces evenly over pizza and finally top evenly with cheese mixture.

Place pizza on baking sheet lightly coated with corn meal. Arrange your oven racks to where they are on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. If you are using a baking stone as we do place it directly onto the floor of a preheated oven for 45 minutes (but you will be less likely to ruin your pizza stone if you place it on a rack at its lowest position.) Place baking sheet with pizza on the lower oven rack and bake for 7-10 minutes, move pizza on baking sheet to upper rack and bake 7-10 minutes (if cooking a second pizza you can put it on the lower rack now on a separate baking sheet.) Slide Pizza off of baking sheet directly onto baking stone and cook for 3-8 minutes or until crisp and bottom is browning (if you were cooking a second pizza you would move it to the top rack on its baking sheet once you slide the first pizza onto the baking stone and of course you would move it to the baking stone once you have remove the first pizza and cooked the second one 7-10 minutes on the upper rack.)

Slide pizza onto a cutting board or baking sheet and use a pizza slicer to cut into 8-10 slices and serve hot with your favorite pizza sides, seasonings and sauces!

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