PFB: Challenge # 5: My Argentinian Barbecue-Pizza

I will begin this post with a warning...achtung!! These pizzas don't exist in Buenos Aires..They are just the result of this challenge, and of racking my brains...several days in a row, trying to find something that hasn't been showed in the world of pizzas!!! (Is there something that hasn't been showed yet?)

What's more with pizza, I'm completely out of my "comfort zone"..Why? Am I such a snob that only eats foie-gras??! No way!! I LOVE eating pizza!! But I must confess (and sorry to disappoint the world who believes I'm perfect (?!), that I never make it myself! (please, don't unsuscribe from my blog!!!) I just eat it at the Italian restaurant round the corner, or I order delivery....Et oui !!! pizzas save me on those nights when I'm too tired to cook...or when I am just lazy...Oh, and let me tell you, it is psychologically healthy to feel lazy..from time to time!

Coming back from my digression, I wanted to show you this, that would be a take-away Argentinian barbecue, the take-away being possible thanks to the pizza idea...


1. Starter: an Argentinian barbecue usually begins eating a "provoleta", so here my     Provoleta Pizza with Criolla Sauce...

But what is a provoleta? Well, our Italian inmigrants introduced provolone cheese, and we added oregano and dried pepper flakes and molded this in a kind of disc, that we grill on a foil ...we eat the melted cheese....
So here, my pizza version, a bit more "sophiticated" since I decided to have a layer of caramelised red onions, the spiced provolone, and Criolla sauce on top! Criolla Sauce is made with red, green bell peppers, red onions, wine vinegar and olive oil..This sauce is an Argentinian classic, and together with Chimichurri, it is a "must have" for any barbecue...

My signature touch? Adding the caramelised red onions, that counterbalance the acidity of the Criolla sauce and the spicy provoleta...

Is it wrong if a foodblogger says that his/her creation is "to die for"?  I don't know...but this pizza is to die for!!! Believe me!!

2. Main Course: Argentinian barbecue (meat & sausages), with Chimichurri Sauce ! 

I've noticed that chimichurri is "in fashion" but I've read recipes that are so far from what is eaten in Argentina, that I would not recognize the taste...The most flagrant deviation is the use of cilantro. No Argentinian gaucho (cowboy) would ever use cilantro for the simple reason that cilantro is of, comparatively speaking, recent introduction in our country! This recipe (below) has been in my family, and in my friends' families for as long as I can remember....

3. Dessert: Quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza: Being a simple country as we are, in our culinary tastes, an "asado" (barbecue) usually finishes with "queso y dulce" (fromage and quince paste) But here, I decided to cook the natural quince fruit in a Malbec bath....The color that quince acquires is just amazing....it is almost a Malbec caramel that cooks the hard quince to turn it into something soft...incredibly appealing to the palate and the eyes...!

As a tribute to our Italian roots, and to bring to this dessert a familiar taste from my childhood, ricotta cheese !! and caramelised hazelnuts, flaked almonds and raisins...

Quince fruit

What a marriage! with Malbec from Mendoza

I will carry out an investigation to see who has bitten twice !!! my beautiful pizza...Who has committed this crime? Maybe the hungry blogger after her photo session? Et oui!! I confess! It was me !!!

I hope you have enjoyed my "take-away" Argentinian barbecue....


PS: I would like to thank all the people that generously voted for me, the judges,  that found my work worthy of advancing to the 5th challenge...and my family, who ate pizza ALL the week!

For the recipes, click below




To make the pizza dough, you will need:
*flour, 1kilo * bakery fresh yeast, 50gr * warm water, 2 cups * olive oil, 5 tablespoons * salt, 20gr * sugar, 2 teaspoons

In a ceramics bowl, dissolve the yeast with half the water and sugar. Let it stand in a warm place. After 5', you will see bubbles (that the yeast working!) In the bowl of your stand-mixer , with the dough hook, put the flour, salt, and oil. Start mixing slowly. Then add the yeast mix, little by little. Add the rest of the water, always mixing until you get a dough that is quite sticky. How much water depends on the type, brand of flour you used, so adapt the quantity accoding to what you get. Remove dough from mixer and finish kneading by hand. Put the dough in a bowl brushed with oil. Cover the plastic foil. Either leave the dough in a warm place till it doubles/triples volume! (one hour) or put it in the fridge. It takes longer but the result will be the same!  Spread the dough (required quantity accoding to your taste) on a baking dish brushed with oil. 

For the provoleta pizza

To make the caramelised onions, you will need: * red onions, 4 (thinly sliced) * olive oil, 4 tablespoons * sugar, 4 coffespoons * balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons

Sauté the onions in olive oil (10'). Add the sugar. Cook in low for 15/20'. Add the vinegar. Cook till evaporation. Salt & pepper.

Criolla Sauce: * red onion, 1 (sliced) * red/green bell pepper, 1 of each, sliced in "mirepoix"(small cubes) , wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon, sunflower oil, 4 tablespoons

Spread the caramelized onions on the pizza dough. Bake (230°C) for 10'. As a topping, sprinkle grated provolone cheese (200gr) mixed with dry origan and dry pepper flakes (to taste) Bake for 5/7' or until the cheese is melted. Decorate with Criolla Sauce

For the barbecue pizza

Spread the pizza dough, according to your taste. Cover with your favorite tomato sauce. bake for 10' . Buy one thick slice of beef entrecote. Cook it on a grill, a few minutes on both sides. The idea is to brown the sides, but the meat should remain medium-raw, if not, when you bake it with the pizza, it will become to dry. Cook two sausages on the grill too.

Cut the meat into not-so-thin slices. Slice the sausages. Place on the pizza dough with the tomato sauce. Bake for 7/8 minutes (or until the meat is at your desired point) Sprinkle the barbecue with chimichurri. Add some sliced cherry tomatoes as decoration.

To make Chimichurri Sauce, you will need: * persil (200gr), chopped * garlic, 4 cloves, thinly chopped *origan (better fresh, if not dry), 1 tablespoon * dry pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon or more, water (if using dry oregano, to hydrate it) 1 tablespoon * wine vinegar, I tablespoon * sunflower oil, 3/4 tablespoons *salt & pepper, to taste

Mix all the ingredients. Chimichurri and Criolla Sauce taste better when they have marinated for some hours. You can keep these sauces in the fridge for 3 days.