I love a good pizza. I also love finding new wild game recipes that are simple to throw together after a long day. While the pizza dough portion of this recipe does not fall into the above-mentioned ‘quick’ category, you can easily grab your favorite pizza crust from the store and follow the pizza preparation portion. This recipe will no doubt be amazing either way.
This is not your traditional pizza. Think of it as a steak sandwich on a pizza crust. Spicy whole grain mustard and NY strip steak are the stars of the show. Trust me on the mustard, your taste buds will thank me!
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (110-120 deg.)
- 1-2 tsp honey
- 3 ½ - 4 cups bread flour (plus extra for kneading)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
Pizza
- Thinly sliced elk or venison NY strip steak
- Spicy whole grain mustard
- Cremini mushrooms
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Pickled red onions (recipe below)
- Arugula
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Garlic aioli (recipe below)
Pizza Dough Preparation
Combine instant dry yeast, warm water, and honey. Let yeast activate for at least 15 minutes. When it has a good amount of bubbling, it is ready to go.
Add salt, olive oil, and flour. Note: The most important part of getting a good fluffy dough is to NOT add to much flour. It’s easier to add more flour than trying to add more water to gain the correct consistency. The dough should have a somewhat sticky consistency (more moist than you would expect). Remember, you will be adding more flour when you’re kneading, so if it’s a bit too sticky, you can correct that in the next step.
Let the dough sit for 15 minutes before kneading.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until the flour is incorporated and it starts to become smooth. Let rest for 15 minutes, then knead a couple more minutes.
First proof: Place the dough in a large bowl with a little flour and cover for 1.5 to 3 hours. You are looking for the dough to double in size.
Forming the pizza dough: Divide in 2 for larger pizzas or 4 for personal sized pizzas. Place the dough onto a floured surface and cut into desired size. Note: Do not knead the dough. You want to keep all that airy texture that you’ve created for a fluffy and crispy crust. Use the counter to create some friction and ‘pull’ the dough into balls (see video for technique).
You can either let rest on the counter for approximately 2-3 hours, or put in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. By putting the dough in the refrigerator you slow down the fermentation process. The dough flavor becomes more developed and rich.
Once dough is ready, place on a floured surface and begin shaping your pizza dough. Do NOT roll it, but lightly shape it with your fingers and then pick it up and let gravity aid in stretching. You don’t want to compress all the air that has built up in the dough over the proofing process. This will keep the dough super light and fluffy.
Preheat oven to 525 degrees and start prepping the pizza toppings.
Pizza preparation
Thinly slice the elk/venison NY strip steak. Be generous with the steak to account for shrinkage. Sautee the cremini mushrooms. Dice the green onions. Mix the arugula with a splash of olive oil and some lemon juice to taste. If you haven’t done so already, mix up the garlic aioli.
Top pizza with mustard, sautéed cremini mushrooms, and steak.
Place pizza in oven for 5 minutes then turn broiler on high for 2 minutes.
Top with pickled onions, arugula, and garlic aioli.
Homemade Garlic Aioli
Mix up 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, and 3-4 gloves of garlic.
Homemade Pickled Red Onions
- 1 large, or 2 small red onions
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Thinly slice the red onions (I like to use a mandolin for consistency in size) Simmer the pickling mixture: combine apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Combine the onions and let the mixture cool completely at room temperature. Pour into a glass container and refrigerate.