Vicolo Corn Meal Crust Pizza

Photo of Vicolo Corn Meal Crust Quattro Fromaggio PizzaBubbly cheesy perfection with a crumbly cornmeal crust? Dinner ready in under 15 minutes? Yes, please! Vicolo Corn Meal Crust Pizza makes some of our favorite pizzas. They are artisan hand-made pies that combine a signature original cornmeal crust with the finest cheeses and Read more…

Go-To Pizza Dough

Go-To Pizza Dough coming out of a brick ovenPizza Pizza
Tonight is make your own pizza night, a family favorite. There’s a twist, though. Normally I will heat up a pizza stone in my oven or sometimes on my grill to cook the pizzas. Tonight, we are doing it at my sister’s house because she’s the one with a pizza oven.

All of the dudes in our lives are either on business trips or off at school. So, my daughter, sister, and I are having a girls’ night. We are making our own pizza because I want to see if I need a backyard pizza oven like my sister has.

For years my husband and I have dreamed that it would be great if we had a wood-fired oven in our backyard. We could make bread, roast meats, and, yes, make fantastic pizzas. My husband would love to build it, as he is always up for a project.

But, here’s the thing. Making pizza, or anything else in a wood-fired oven is a process. As awesome and beautiful as a brick oven would be, you have to be the kind of person who will really use it. You must have an hours-long plan not only for getting it hot but also for when the pizza making is over and you let the oven cool.

It would be a waste of time, energy, and resources not to throw other things in there like some gorgeous sourdough bread or some succulent roasted chicken and potatoes. It’s potentially a two-day process at least. Which, if you have the time, is a great way to spend your days. But, it’s just not practical for most of us. And now that my household is rapidly shrinking, I don’t have the mouths required to consume all the oven-roasted bounty.

My sister has a gas-fired tabletop pizza oven that I am thinking is the better solution. So, tonight I’m going to test drive it. Below is the recipe for my Go-To Pizza Dough. (Can’t go wrong with Bobby Flay!) I am curious to see how the pizzas turn out and what the flavor is like without the smoke of the wood. Though, you can get ovens that will use both.

Go-To Pizza Dough Recipe
Adapted from Bobby Flay and the Food Network
Yields 2 14-inch pizza crusts Read more…

Reverse Searing Steaks

Image of Reverse Searing Steaks on a woodend cutting boardWith the cost of beef these days, knowing how to cook a nice steak without ruining it has become more important than ever. Not to mention the need to know how to make cheaper cuts taste like filet mignon. The solution to both situations is a technique that isn’t new but it will blow your mind a bit.

Seeing a thick, beautiful, well-marbled steak in the meat case can be a difficult thing to pass up. The question is how to cook it. You could go the classic route and throw it on the grill and hope that the temp or your timing is just right to get a perfect medium rare. You could sear it in a hot pan and finish it in the oven. But, that doesn’t always come out the way you want it. Sometimes the meat is too rare or too well done.

For the best most consistent results, try reverse searing steaks.

Reverse searing goes contrary to the way you have been taught to think about cooking steaks. This technique offers more control over the internal temperature of your steak. And, as a bonus, it creates a flavorful crust on the outside with a very tender inside. The results are similar to a Sous Vide steak. But, much easier and without the expensive equipment.

So how do you do it?
Start your steaks in a moderately heated oven. 275º F is perfect. This will dry the surface of the meat which will help when you sear it in a pan later. The slow and low cooking temperature of the oven will give you more control over the internal temperature of your steak and keep it from overcooking. When the meat is done to your preference, sear it in a preheated cast iron skillet to create that beautiful crust on the outside.

This process can be done with New York steaks and rib eyes as well as cheaper cuts like chuck steaks with incredible results.

For a great step-by-step tutorial check out this link from Jessica Gavin, a chef culinary scientist.