Meaty Pizza

Sometimes I really crave a steak. So, let’s put some steak on a pizza and enjoy it with a luscious Tuscan wine. A delicious pairing for this meaty pizza is Tenuta di Castiglioni, Toscana IGT. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes with a little Merlot and Petit Verdot resulting in a powerful deep purpley red wine that’s filled with a multitude of spice flavors beautifully balancing the fruit.

Tenuta di Castiglioni Toscana IGT is a Super Tuscan wine. The IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) in Super Tuscans means the wine is classified regarding the region and not the varietal or blending. When you see Toscana IGT on a wine label it’s most often an indication of ultimate quality.

 

The concept of this pizza is to make a robust and very meaty pizza with an aged cheese as a base for the Mozzarella strewn on top. We’re going to use two cheeses, Mozzarella and Pecorino. Pecorino, by definition, is any Italian cheese that? made from sheep’s milk. Pecorino is broadly categorized in two quite different forms. One is Pecorino Tuscano that’s young and not too sharp. Then there’s Pecorino Romano that’s hard and quite sharp. I love using the Pecorino Romano on this pizza because the wine is big-flavored and this cheese is also big-flavored. This pizza and red wine pairing could be considered a “like-like concept” with large flavors working together with neither overpowering the other. The richness of the cheese also cuts through the acidity and sweetness of tomato sauce on the pizza.

A fun idea could be to serve a cheese board with both Tuscano and Romano Pecorinos as an appetizer before your dinner. You could also include a variety of olives and a crusty Italian bread. Now you can enjoy these cheeses with the Tenuta di Castiglioni while you?e preparing the pizzas.

 

Okay, back to the meat. The powerful flavors in the wine and the powerful flavors of the steak with the Pecorino Romano work together superbly. The wine makes the pizza taste better and the pizza makes the wine taste better. This is the magic of pairing; one plus one should equal more than two.

Shred about 3/4 cup of Mozzarella (not fresh Mozzarella) and add 1/4 cup of finely shredded Pecorino cheese. Mix them together and put the cheese in a bowl while you’re making the sauce and rolling out your pizza dough. Cut a sirloin steak into 1/2 inch thin strips then hit them with a grind of pepper and a little salt.

Make your favorite red sauce and your favorite pizza dough. Roll your dough out and brush it lightly with a peppery Tuscan olive oil. Spread 3/4 cups of the sauce and add the cheeses on top. Add the strips of steak and a touch more of both cheeses…why not! Slip this robust meaty pizza onto your heated pizza stone in the oven at 450 for about 12-15 minutes until the steak is cooked and the cheese is gooey and meltey. When your pizza is cooked, you can let it rest a few minutes while you toast to another great meal and another great wine.

Enjoy!