Tavern Style Beef Pizza

Chicago tavern style pizza gets its signature snap from a paper-thin crust rolled out with a pin and baked on a very hot stone, then cut into small squares for sharing. Lean, grass-fed Pre 92% ground beef is browned with fennel seeds and oregano for a sausage-style topping, finished with low-moisture mozzarella and tangy giardiniera. Total time of 1 hour 30 minutes includes about 1 hour for the dough to come to room temperature.

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes 1 hour for dough to come to room temperature)

Servings: 4

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Tavern Style Pizza Ingredients

• ½ of a 16-ounce package Pre grass-fed 92% lean ground beef

• 1 teaspoon high-heat cooking oil

• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided

• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, regular or thin-crust style, at room temperature

• all-purpose flour, for dusting

• cornmeal or semolina, for dusting

• ¾ cup store-bought pizza sauce

• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

• 8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (do not use fresh mozzarella)

• ¼ cup mild or spicy giardiniera, drained

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven as high as it will go, usually 500º F to 550º F. Place a pizza stone or vented pizza baking sheet inside while oven heats.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon high-heat cooking oil. Add ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no pink remains, then add fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of the oregano and continue to cook until browned all over. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Punch down room-temperature dough. Dust counter with a mix of flour and a little cornmeal. Use a rolling pin, not hands, to roll dough as thin as possible, about 12 to 14 inches across, the signature of tavern style pizza.

4. Poke rolled dough all over with a fork, then transfer to parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. (Why: pricking the dough lets steam escape so crust stays flat instead of puffing.)

5. Spread pizza sauce all the way to the edges of crust. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons oregano and parmesan.

6. Cover sauce completely with shredded mozzarella, going right to the edge. (Why: low-moisture mozzarella melts and browns without making thin crust soggy.) Scatter browned beef evenly over cheese, then top with giardiniera.

7. Slide pizza off parchment directly onto hot baking stone or preheated baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely, until crust is dark golden-brown and crisp and cheese is bubbly and browned.

8. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Slice into small squares, known as the tavern cut or party cut, instead of wedges.