I’m sending you a big autumn hug in the form of pizza.
A big, indulgent, high-maintenance autumn hug. But so worth it.
I’ve been on book tour lately and one question keeps coming up: what recipe am I craving or which is my favorite from the blog or book? I’m terrible at picking favorites.
Monthly favorites are manageable, but “forever” favorites? Impossible. Don’t even ask my favorite movie — it would probably land somewhere between Dirty Dancing, Beaches and a guilty-pleasure comedy like Wedding Crashers.
If you ask about songs, I’ll rattle off a handful of James Taylor tracks, sprinkle in old-school Whitney, some 90s hits and whatever top 40 earworm I’m currently obsessed with.
Favorite book? I’ll answer with nearly every book I love. Favorite food? That’s a joke — how can anyone choose?
Recently I started defining favorite recipes by season, which feels fair. For the last month, when people asked what I was craving, my honest answer was the same: Brussels sprouts pizza.
Yes, Brussels sprouts on pizza — followed closely by butternut squash lasagna (my book version edges out the blog one) and maybe a creamy butternut soup. For weeks I dreamed about that sprouts pizza with lots of bacon.
I finally made it and loved it, but I still wanted another take on a Brussels pizza. Even if it’s a little of a repeat, I’m convinced pizza is exactly where Brussels belong.
So I made this version: high-maintenance but glorious. It starts with cider-braised short ribs, which you braise until they fall off the bone — a few hours, but worth it. Short ribs are my current favorite cut; I love them braised and used inside dishes as much as I do with classic sides.
After braising the ribs in cider, I caramelized shallots, crisped shredded Brussels sprouts and piled everything onto pizza dough with three cheeses. It’s rich, layered and exactly what I wanted for fall.
Yes, braising takes time, but you can do it ahead. The combination of savory short rib, sweet caramelized shallot, crisped shredded sprouts and melty fontina, gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano is heavenly.
Crispy Shredded Sprouts, Cider Short Rib and Caramelized Shallot Pizza
1 pizza, serves 2 to 4
4 hrs
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Ingredients
cider braised short ribs
- 5 pounds beef short ribs, about 6 to 8 ribs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup hard cider
pizza dough
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
crispy sprouts and shallots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, stems removed and shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the sprouts)
- 6 ounces fontina, freshly grated
- 4 ounces gruyère, freshly grated
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
Instructions
cider braised short ribs
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high and add olive oil and butter. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and sear fat-side up until deeply golden, about 3 minutes per side. Pour in the cider, reduce heat to medium and cook a few minutes to let the alcohol evaporate. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until ribs are falling off the bone. Add a little stock or more cider if the liquid gets low. You can braise these ahead of time.
- Remove the ribs when done and let cool slightly, then pull the meat from the bones. Note: start the dough about halfway through the ribs’ cook time.
dough
- In a large bowl combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and salt, stir until the dough comes together but remains sticky. Work in the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a floured surface and knead a few minutes. Coat the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- After rising, punch down the dough and shape it with a rolling pin or by hand into your desired pizza shape. This dough yields one pizza that will feed about 3–4 people. Let the shaped dough rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F (475°F if using a pizza stone).
crispy sprouts and shallots
- Heat a skillet over medium-low and add olive oil and butter. Add the shallots with brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the shredded Brussels and stir to coat, then increase heat to medium and cook until bright and crisp, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Brush the dough with olive oil, add a few handfuls of cheese, then top with caramelized shallots, Brussels and shredded short rib. Finish with remaining cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes (or a bit less on a stone) until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving and finish with extra Parmigiano and fresh herbs if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Short answer: yes — this pizza is absolutely worth the effort.