A Taster’s Journey

Pizza is one of the most debated items in the food world. In New York there is always a fiery discussion about the best restaurant for pizza. Chicago chimes in that pizza should be more of a deep dish variety. Personally, I prefer a thin crust. So the other night I made three of my favorites: goat cheese & caramelized onion; sausage, onion & fontina; and meatball & mozzarella. Which is the best? I love them all, so I will leave it up to you to decide.

The trick to serving several pies in one night is to prepare all the toppings ahead of time. Pizza dough is pretty easy to make, but if I am cooking three pizzas I want to save as much time as possible…in other words, I bought my dough at Lazy Acres. When I make my own dough, I typically use a recipe by Wolfgang Puck. His recipe adds a little honey to the dough which is a nice touch. Below are the three pies..

Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pizza is probably the pie I make most often. I slice one large onion into half rounds then saute in olive oil and butter till caramelized, about 30 minutes. You need to cook the onions slowly which will bring out the sweetness; the onions will be brown but not burnt. Next, I roll my dough till it is ultra thin, you can almost see through it. Add cornmeal to the top of your pizza peel and then the pizza on top. Oil the entire surface of the pie then spread your onions around evenly. Add small chunks of a good goat cheese on top of the onions next drizzle a bit more olive oil over the pie so it isn’t too dry. Now, season with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cook in a 500 - 500 degree oven till the crust turns brown.

Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pizza

Sausage, onion, and fontina pizza is a twist on the classic sausage pizza.  First, remove the Italian sausage from its casing and saute till brown. I make the onions the same way as the pie above but I cook them for 10 minutes less. They are not brown, but translucent with a slight slight crunch. For the tomatoes, you can use fresh, but I would bake them first to remove some moisture. I use Rao’s Marinara Sauce, but first I cook over low heat for about 15 minutes to remove some moisture (if too wet, the pizza will be soggy). Lastly, I grate an imported fontina cheese.

Sausage, Onion & Fontina Pizza

After the prep work is complete, roll the dough out like above and cover with a bit of olive oil. Then add a light coat of tomato sauce, then onion, sausage, and fontina. Add red chili flakes or salt if desired. Bake till brown and bubbly.

Pizza with meatball and mozzarella is the last pie I made. I was lucky to have leftover meatballs. I treated the tomato sauce the same as above. I prefer to use fresh mozzarella because it will have better flavor than the supermarket varieties, but it will also contain more moisture. Either will be delicious. After slicing the mozzarella, be sure to use paper towels to remove excess moisture from the fresh cheese. You can also grate the mozzarella if you prefer.

By now you should be a pizza expert. Roll out your dough, add olive oil, tomato sauce, meatballs, and cheese. Again, bake until bubbly and brown.

I have made pizza with friends a dozen times; it’s a great way to entertain. Everyone gets involved and has a lot of fun. An added benefit is that meal is spectacular! Do you have a favorite pizza recipe? I’d love to hear about it.

I love pork. Whether it’s a chop, a rack of ribs, bacon, sausage, or lardo on my pizza…I eat it all. Last year I had my first taste of porchetta at a Slow Food event. The juicy meat was flavored with fennel pollen and encrusted in a crispy skin; it just melted in my mouth. This year I want to cook many other variations of pork that hopefully will be as tasty as that porchetta.

Since I have been unhappy with most of the pork available locally, I purchased several pork products from Flying Pigs Farm in Upstate New York. Flying Pigs breeds Large Black, Gloucestershire Old Spot, and Tamworth pigs. Their goal is raise heritage pigs the old fashion way resulting in a product that has more moisture and flavor. Although their pork is not cheap, I am very pleased with their quality.

I purchased bacon, sweet Italian sausage, pork chops and a loin roast. I liked the bacon but I don’t think it’s necessarily better than premium brands, like Niman Ranch, which is available locally. The sausage was great; I used it on pizza and in a tomato sauce. The sausage has a course texture and a ton of flavor. I think the sausage made both  the pizza and and the tomato sauce better.

Pork chops are the biggest test because I feel most chops lack fat, and are therefore tasteless and tough. Flying Pigs pork chops were about 3/4 inch thick and had a good amount of fat. My wife, Nora, saw a recipe in Martha Stewart that cooked pork chops in apples and onions, which I thought was a great combination. I didn’t like the recipe quantities or timing, but after several tries I was able modify the recipe to my liking. Below is my version…

The key to a good dish is good ingredients. Note the pork chops below are a healthy thickness and are not too lean. I actually trimmed a bit of the fat around the outside of the pork chop prior to cooking. 

Pork Chops

Pork Chops with Apples & Onions

2 pork chops, 3/4 in.                                1 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. butter                                                  1 small onion, sliced

2 apples, sliced                                             1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup apple juice                                     1 tsp dried sage

salt & pepper

Trim pork chops of excessive fat then season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat saute pan (stainless will work better than non-stick for browning) and add olive when hot. Add pork chops for 3 minutes per side, cooking on high heat to nicely brown the pork chops. Once browned, transfer to a plate.

Add butter to the pan then add onions and apples. Season with salt and pepper. Once the onions begin to turn translucent add the chicken broth, apple juice and the sage. Simmer for about 8 minutes and return the pork chops to the pan.  

Pork Chops with Apples & Onions

Cook until the pork chops are tender, which should be about 10 minutes. Flip the pork after 5 minutes to ensure both sides cook evenly. Note that the pork is done when an instant read thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees. I recommend testing the pork after 5 minutes to ensure that you don’t overcook. Once the desired internal temperature is reached, turn off the heat and let the chops rest in the pan for a minute or two while you plate your other vegetables. Then plate your chops and spoon the apples and onions over the pork. Enjoy!