Pulled Barbeque Pork Pizza

 Pulled Barbeque Pork Pizza

Makes 2 – 10 to 12-inch pizzas

(America)

In the southern United States what could be a more traditional pizza topping than  barbeque pulled pork , in our family this is how we use up leftover barbeque.

Ingredients

authentic pizza dough:

2½ cups Bread Flour, plus additional for work surface

1 cup Warm (105° F) Water

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast

¼ cup Honey

¼ cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil

4 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt

BBQ pulled pork:

1 pound piece of pork butt or loin

1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce

Toppings:

1 small red onion, peeled, ¼-inch diced

½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, to taste

1/2 cup of smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro,  roughly chopped

Preparation

BBQ pulled pork:

1.   Place the pork in a slow cooker set to high with ½ cup chicken broth and slow cook for about 2 hours or until  the pork  shreds easily when pulled apart with 2 forks.  Remove the pork and set aside to allow it to cool.

2.   Once the pork cools,  shred it and place the shredded pork into a re-sealable plastic bag.

 3.  Pour 1 cup of the BBQ sauce over the shredded pork, seal the bag  and massage the bag to coat all the pork.  Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.  Agitate the mixture every so often to make sure all the pork gets thoroughly marinated. 

Authentic pizza dough:

1.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.  If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2.  Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl  of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture.  Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks,  to knead and turn on.  Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4.  Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

construction and baking:

 1.  Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2.  Remove the risen dough ball from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface , flatten it into a thick disk and with your fingertips and palms, working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 10 to 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]).  If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes).  Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel  in the next instruction).

3.  Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel insuring that the lightly floured side is on the bottom.  Lightly spread ½ cup of the BBQ sauce evenly over pizza base keeping a ½ to 1-inch border of the base uncoated to form a crust; sprinkle the grated ½ the mozzarella and all the Gouda  cheeses evenly over the BBQ sauce (leaving about the of uncoated dough around the edge uncoated.   Evenly distribute the shredded, marinated pork over the cheeses.  Evenly distribute the diced red onions over the pork.  Evenly distribute the remaining mozzarella over the red onions and finally evenly distribute the roughly chopped cilantro over the onions.

4.  Finally  sprinkle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the surface.

5.  Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 12 minute in a 450°F oven. Remove from the oven, slice into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve.

6.  Repeat with the remaining dough, toppings, and cheese.

Memphis Style Barbecue Ribs

Memphis Style Barbecue Ribs

makes about 4 – 6  servings

(America)

This recipe  is the  evolution of a spice mixture I became aware of when I  was a young Marine  stationed at Naval Air Station Millington Tennessee outside Memphis.  Some  of the keys to good ribs are to  remove  the "silver skin", partially slicing between each rib prior to cooking, and cooking slow and low (slowly over a low flame with plenty of smoke).  I think the addition of cumin to the traditional Memphis dry rub gives it a refreshing and slightly Mediterranean flavour surprise.

Ingredients

        6 pounds spare ribs

1 3/4 cups cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups apple cider
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup BBQ Rub (recipe follows)
3 cups wood chips

Vinegar Sauce (recipe  follows), optional

Preparation

1.  If your ribs have not been already trimmed by the butcher, trim them as follows:

2.  Place the ribs meat-side up on a cutting board. There is a line of fat at the base of the ribs; cut along it to remove the rib tips, they're composed of cartilage and add nothing to the ribs. Turn the meat over, rib-side up.

3.  Cut off the flap of meat on the inside of the ribs. (The reason for removing these pieces is that they will burn well before the ribs are done. You can marinate and season these flaps with the rest of the ribs and grill them over direct heat for about 15 minutes, turning once. They are delicious.)

4.  With the rib-side up, work a sharp knife under the tough, silver-skin like membrane that covers the bones. Working from one rib to the next, pull the membrane off the rib. (For a better grip, grab the membrane with a paper towel.) The membrane may tear and you may have to start over, but be patient – removing the membrane allows the spices and smoke to penetrate the ribs, and makes the ribs much more attractive and easy to eat.  This is also a good time to slice partially between each rib to make separating them later easier.

5.  In a shallow, plastic or non-reactive pan or bowl large enough to hold the ribs, mix together 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup cider, garlic, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and the salt. Put the ribs in this marinade, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 16 hours, turning once during this time.

6.  Remove the ribs from the pan 2 hours before you plan to cook them and pat them dry. Discard the marinade.

7.  Sprinkle the ribs all over with 1/2 cup of the rub, patting it on with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 1/2 hours.

8.  Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour before grilling; this will help prevent the meat from "seizing up" and becoming tough when placed on the grill.

9.  Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 3/4 cup cider, and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. You will apply this basting liquid to the ribs about once every hour or so with a spray bottle.

10. (optional) Soak about 3 cups of wood chips (hickory, oak or apple) for at least 1/2 hour in cold water.

11.  Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for indirect grilling over low heat . (optional) Drain and add 1 cup of the wood chips (for a gas grill, place  wood chips in a disposable aluminum pan under the grating where they can smolder and smoke).

12.  Place ribs  on the grill meat side down and grill the ribs, covered, until they are crispy, and the meat has pulled back from the bone, 3 to 4 hours, depending on the heat of your grill. Spray the ribs with the vinegar-cider mixture every hour, and turn them once during grilling. Don't forget to add more wood chips (optional)—and, if using charcoal, more coals—as needed (check every hour or so). You should have enough soaked wood chips for about 3 hours of cooking time; if your ribs take longer, you will need to soak more chips.

13.  If the ribs are done before you are ready to eat, wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil and leave them over very low, indirect heat for up to 1 hour.

14.  Remove the ribs from the grill, spray or baste with any remaining basting liquid, and sprinkle with the remaining the 1/4 cup of rub. Serve as is, or with Vinegar Sauce.

BBQ Rub

Makes about 1 cup or about enough for 8 pounds of Memphis style ribs

(America)

 Ingredients

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons coarse salt, such as kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

1.  In a sealable, clean container large enough for all  the ingredients,  combine the ingredients and seal the container.   Shake  the container briskly to completely and evenly distribute all the ingredients.

2.  Label the sealed container and store in a  cool, dark place until needed.

Vinegar Sauce

makes about 2 ½ cups

(America)

Ingredients

2 cups cider vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

Preparation

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Use immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Next Week's Posting: Soupe a l'Oignon au Fromage (French Onion Soup)