Meatza

Meatza, meatza, meatza...I've heard so much about this pizza substitute lately, I just had to give it a try. If I'm going to make a pizza, I want it to both taste and look like a pizza. So, truth be told, I decided to add a little bit of mozzarella to the top of our meatza. I bought a small brick of cheese produced at a local farm and shredded it myself. That way, we avoided the additives present in pre-shredded cheeses. While this paleo cheat did make our meatza look more like a pizza, it did not enhance the flavor for me. Next time, I'll leave it off. I've gotta say that this meal was very easy, cooks quickly, and truly tasted--and looked--like pizza. The crust has just the right amount of spice for me, but cut out the cayenne if you prefer something milder. Justin Owings attributes the success of the crust's flavor to the caraway seeds, a secret ingredient of his Italian grandfather's meatball recipe. They definitely add great flavor. I love using a sausage and ground beef blend for my crust, but you can use whatever ground meat you have on hand. The toppings are totally flexible, so get creative! (Please excuse the iphone photos...camera issues.)

Adapted from www.justinowings.com.


Makes 6 good-sized slices.

Ingredients
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 pound nitrate-free bulk Italian sausage
1 egg
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup of your favorite all-natural jarred tomato sauce (I use Gabriel's brand.)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
any other pizza toppings of your choice

Preparation

Meatza!

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Warm oil in a large cast iron or other oven-proof skillet. Add green pepper and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.
   NOTE: Add any other veggies of your choice, such as mushrooms, at this step.
3. While vegetables cook, combine spices in a small bowl.
4. Place beef, sausage, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly combine. Add spice mixture and continue to mix until the spices are evenly distributed.
5. Transfer meat mixture to skillet and press down to form a deep-dish style meatza crust. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from oven and pour off any grease. Pat the top of the crust with a paper towel to absorb any residue.
7. Set oven to broil.
8. Top crust with tomato sauce, then veggie mixture, and other toppings of your choice. 
9. Place meatza under broiler for about 3-5 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Cut into wedges and enjoy!



Crust before cooking.







Crust after cooking.