Week #6: Colorado - Chili Pizza

On Gluten-Free Crust

State: Colorado

I have never been to Colorado before, so my goal was to do as much research as I could.  I know Colorado has a strong Mexican culture influence and is well known for Organic foods.  After doing a Google search on cuisines of Colorado, it seems that Chili is one of the most popular dishes.  The only challenge with making a Colorado style chili was the trying to find the right types of peppers to make the sauce with.  From what I understand, Colorado uses “Hatch” green chilies and “Big Jim’s” medium hot peppers. Unfortunately, these peppers are not accessible in Tampa, so I did a different take on peppers and went with my own.  So this is a Colorado Chili inspired Pizza dish.

Ingredients Needed:

½ lb of Beef Chuck Roast (Preferably Organic – Whole Foods)

3 small or 2 medium Smoked Chipotle peppers (remove seeds)

1 Pizza dough (Naan is great to use if low on time or prep)

1 Jalapeno with seeds

1 Poblano Pepper (remove seeds)

½ Green pepper

½ can of tomato paste

1 tsp of cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1 can of pinto or ranchero beans (optional)

Water to cook smoked peppers – save for puree mixture – add more to your preference of texture

Sauce:

First, I found a recipe on how to make a Colorado chili and utilized similar, as well as different ingredients for the recipe.  The recipe called for 2 different types of peppers, green pepper, onion, garlic, and a few other ingredients (salt, pepper, cumin, etc).  I substituted the peppers for a smoked Chipotle pepper (Fresh Market), poblano pepper, and jalapeno peppers.  I first cooked smoked chipotle pepper in a glass of water in the microwave to soften the pepper and removed the seeds.  I then processed all the peppers, including the green pepper with the chipotle water, garlic, olive oil, and onions.  For some reason, I don’t have a blender, but if I did, I would use it to puree or liquefy into a broth.  For me, the mixture needed something to add depth to it.  I added in a little tomato paste and water to make it a little more robust. The tomato paste gave it more depth and with the dry spices, it turned out amazing.

Meat:

The second step I did was I took beef chuck roast and cut it up into stew size pieces.  After searing both sides, I added the mixture sauce to the pan and boiled for 5 minutes, then reduced it down to a simmer.

On flour crust

Pizza:

After cooking the sauce and meat, I used the sauce as the base of the pizza.  Then I added the toppings and a layer of shredded Mexican style cheese.  You can always use a Monterey jack or sharp cheddar to enhance the flavor of this dish.  Finally, I finished off the pizza with green onions for a topping.

Pairing:

When think of Colorado, you think of great craft beer such as New Belgium Brewing Company.  With a strong spicy dish, I would recommend an IPA or American Pale Ale to balance the flavors of your pallet.   For this pizza, New Belgium “Rampant” is a great beer choice.  For wine, you could always do a white wine such as a Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio.

Learning Moments:
One of the best things about making this pizza, was that I learned how to make chili completely different from the way I made it.  I used to make chili the easy way.  You know, open up cans of crushed tomatoes and beans, throw it in a crock pot with some ground beef.  Then I would add seasonings and call a day.  No, this chili forced me to use more veggies and make a sofrito style base.  Sofrito in Puerto Rican culture is a base made from onions, peppers, and tomatoes.  It makes a perfect starter for soups and other dishes.  Since making this pizza, I made a white chicken chili by using the same method of processing different peppers and veggies to make a base.  It makes a world of difference in your cooking.  I love this challenge!