Bring on the pork.
Isn’t it considered good luck to eat pork for the new year? I’m happy to take the pig-powered luck any time. I love pork, and if it brings good fortune, sign me up for a year of pig times a million.
And because I never miss a chance to be delightfully indulgent, I turned it into pizza. Yes, pizza. Because why not?
Something unexpected is happening.
Something strange.
It seems I might be losing my sweet tooth—just a little. I’m puzzled, because I’ve always had a serious sweet tooth (thanks, Mom) and I could routinely start the day with something chocolate. This holiday season, though, things have felt different.
I made a ton of cookies for the holidays and didn’t touch them for almost a week. It’s not because I avoid sweets in general—I cook for a living and tend to be surrounded by treats—but this is the first time in years I haven’t reached for them constantly. I used to wake up, exercise, have breakfast and then have a cookie like clockwork. Now I find myself preferring eggs and bacon, toast, or savory cheese instead.
Don’t get me wrong: I still enjoy something sweet after dinner sometimes. It’s just not as automatic as it used to be. Maybe this is what people mean by having willpower without trying. Maybe this is called growing up. Maybe.
If you’re in the mood for this pizza, you might already have pulled pork on hand. It’s perfect for using leftovers. If you need a pulled pork starting point, I used the pulled pork from my tacos recipe and shredded it well—some of that would also be saved in the freezer for the days ahead. If you’re cooking in the pace of a food blog, time moves fast and you end up eating recipes weeks in advance. Real life, accelerated.
I like to finish this pizza with a drizzle of BBQ sauce because pork and cheddar practically call for it. It’s a sandwich-meets-pizza situation—and a very good one at that.
Pulled Pork Pizza with Maple Leeks, Roasted Garlic and Aged Cheddar
Yield:
1 pizza
2
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Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pizza
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cleaned and trimmed leeks, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 head roasted garlic
- 1 cup leftover pulled pork
- 4 ounces fontina, freshly grated
- 6 ounces aged cheddar, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, for drizzling
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, stirring until the dough begins to come together but is still sticky. Form the dough into a ball, then work in the remaining 2/3 cup flour on a floured surface, kneading for a few minutes. Rub the bowl with olive oil, return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-low and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sliced leeks with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and cook another minute. Remove from heat.
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Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb and mash them with a fork. Combine the mashed garlic with the pulled pork, tossing until the garlic is evenly distributed.
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After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on a floured surface. Shape it with a rolling pin or your hands into your desired pizza shape; this dough will make one pizza large enough for about 3–4 people. Transfer to a baking sheet or pizza peel, cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (or follow pizza stone or skillet method directions if using those). Cover the dough with the fontina, then layer the cooked leeks and the pulled pork. Top with the aged cheddar and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Drizzle with BBQ sauce before or after slicing and serve.
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You could also enjoy this combination on a soft pretzel roll, if you prefer. Just saying.