Carne Asada Pizza

It’s the most wonderful tiiiime of the year! And by that, I mean warm weather, fresh air, pretty flowers, grilling, bonfires, good friends, and good food. Specifically, Mexican food. I know it might be weird, but I tend to associate delicious Mexican dishes with summer time.  Mainly because most of the ingredients are best and freshest in the Summer, I guess. But, with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I’ve been working on some pretty tasty new recipes. Carne Asada Pizza, being one of them. A fusion between Italian and Mexican dishes, this pizza is chewy, crisp, spicy, smoky, sweet. It does a dance on your taste buds! Thinly sliced, melt in your mouth steak marinated in fresh spices and chipotle in adobo, crisp sweet corn, sautéed bell peppers, sharp red onions, and that soft, tangy cojita cheese that just slightly melts all perfectly to bond it all together.

I’m gunna tell you a secret that I’m not proud of. Not only did I eat almost half of a pizza at dinner, in the morning, I cracked an egg on top and ate another half. And we’re talking big slices here. But hey, it’s just that good. Maybe I’ll make it for dinner again…

Carne Asada Pizza

What You’ll Need:

+ One pizza dough (I love and only use Alton Browns recipe)

+ 8 ounces flank steak

+ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

+ 1/4 cup orange juice

+ 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

+ 2 cloves garlic, crushed

+ 1 spoonful chipotle in adobo (depending on your love for spice)

+ 1 teaspoon salt

+ 1 teaspoon black pepper

+ 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

+ 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (I use half a red, half a green)

+ 1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)

+ 1/2 cup corn kernels

+ 1 cup pizza sauce

+ 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

+ 1 cup crumbled cojita cheese

Very Important: Whether your dough is store-bought or homemade, make sure you take it out to rest to room temperature. It will be much easier to work with! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. And place a pizza stone in he oven. In a large bowl, combine the oil, orange juice. Worcestershire, garlic,chipotle, and s&p. Place the steak in the marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for about an hour (5 hours MAX). Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and remove steak from marinade. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, and allow to sit and rest for 10 minutes. Slice super thinly and set aside. This next step is optional. If you like your peppers and onions more crunchy and raw, don’t cook them first. Otherwise, sauté in a pan for about 5 minutes to start cooking them.

To assemble the pizza, stretch the dough out on a paddle board. Spread the sauce on top (I added a little more chipotle in adobo to the sauce for extra kick). Add your toppings, and the. Cheeses. Move the pizza onto hot stone and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting (if you can stand it)