Mesquite Grilled Pizza Recipes

GRILLED TEXAS MESQUITE TOAST

Steps:

• Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, garlic spread, and seasoning. Cook in microwave on high setting about 1 minute. Brush each slice of bread on 1 side with butter mixture. Place bread on grill, buttered-side down, and cook for 1 minute. For nice grill marks on bread, turn each slice 1/4 turn and grill for an additional 30 seconds.
• Remove from grill and serve warm.
• INDOOR: Prepare butter spread and brush 1 side of bread as directed. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place bread, buttered-side down, in a skillet and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.

MESQUITE-GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil. Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and salt in processor using on/off turns. With machine running, pour yeast mixture through feed tube and process until combined, about 10 seconds. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more flour to dough if sticky, about 5 minutes.
• Brush large bowl with olive oil. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Punch dough down; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing with recipe.)
• Prepare covered barbecue grill (medium-high heat). Brush 14-inch pizza pan with 1-inch-high sides with olive oil. Punch dough down and knead 2 minutes. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 16-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan. Spread sauce over dough; sprinkle with black and green olives. Top with both cheeses, then mushrooms and bell peppers. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with minced herbs if desired.
• Add mesquite chips to fire. Open bottom barbecue vent. Place pizza on rack on lowest rung. Cover, leaving top vent half open. Bake until crust is golden brown, checking occasionally, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Place the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and water; once added, continue mixing for 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth.
• Divide the dough into 3 even pieces and form into balls. Spray with cooking oil and then place in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days for best flavor. (See Cook's Note.)
• When ready to bake, transfer each dough ball to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make the pizza pies: Preheat a gas grill to 500 degrees F or get a charcoal grill as hot as you can. Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour.
• For each pizza: Gently flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand and then roll it into a 10- to 11-inch round, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Don't worry if it's not perfectly or even barely round; just make sure it's of uniform thickness (even if it's the shape of a beaver tail!).
• Sprinkle a pizza peel with semolina flour and transfer the stretched dough to the peel. (If you don't have a peel, use the back of an upturned sheet pan instead.) Slide the dough directly onto the grill. Cook until golden grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side; use tongs to flip.
• For the white pizza: In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and fontina cheeses along with the thyme, rosemary, honey and some salt and pepper. Brush a grilled crust with olive oil. Spread with the cheese mixture in an even layer. Use the peel to return the pizza to the grill. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is fully browned. Remove from the grill and top with the prosciutto and arugula.
• For the margherita pizza: Brush a grilled crust with olive oil and spread evenly with the marinara sauce. Top with the torn mozzarella and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to the grill. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Remove from grill and top with torn basil.

MEATY GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium heat.
• Grill the sausage, turning, until cooked through. Cut into slices. (Alternatively, remove the sausage from its casings, cook on a griddle on the grill and crumble.)
• Meanwhile, put the Canadian bacon, onion slices and mushroom cap on the grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and grill until the onion and mushroom are slightly charred and tender, another 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop.
• To set up the pizza stone on the grill, stack 2 bricks on top of each other on one side of the grill and 2 more bricks on top of each other on the other side of the grill, about 12 inches apart to create a platform for the pizza stone. Put the pizza stone on top of the bricks to elevate it over the grates. The stone should be 5 to 6 inches above the grates. Raise the heat to medium high, cover and preheat for 30 minutes to allow the pizza stone to get nice and hot.
• On a floured work surface, press the pizza dough into a round 12 to 14 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with the cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the pizza peel or baking sheet.
• Top the dough with the sauce and spread it out with a spoon into a thin layer. Top with the pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, onions, mushroom and mozzarella. Carefully slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Cover the grill and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 12 to 14 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the basil. Slice and serve hot.

GRILLED MESQUITE BEEF FAJITAS (TEX-MEX)

Steps:

• Clean the skirt or flank steak. Remove as much of the fat and thin film as possible.
• Combine all remaining ingredients.
• Pour over meat and marinate over night (minimum), turning occasionally.
• Arrange coals on along two sides of the grill with a drip pan in the middle.
• Once white around the edges, add mesquite chips. You can soak them first if you want, but it's not necessary.
• Place meat over drip pan and put the cover on the grill.
• Turn meat after 20 minutes or so, and cook for another 10-15 minute Meat should be cooked, but still juicy.
• Let meat rest for 15 minute.
• Cut the meat across the grain into thin strips (1/4-3/8" thick). Be careful here, the grain does not run lengthwise. You should cut each skirt steak into 6" segments, turn each segment 90 degrees then slice. If you don't cut across the grain, the meat will be very tough.
• Serve on hot flour tortillas, topped with your favorite toppings. I prefer spicy guacamole and shredded shard cheddar cheese.

MESQUITE SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix Marinade Mix, preserves and orange juice in small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the preserves mixture.
• Grill sausage over medium heat 20 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally. Grill peppers, onions and pineapple slices 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, turning occasionally. Brush sausage, vegetables and pineapple occasionally with remaining preserves mixture. Cut sausage into thin slices. Cut vegetables and pineapple into bite-size pieces.
• Stretch or roll dough on floured baking sheet to a 12- to 14-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush top of dough with oil. Place oiled-side down on the grill. Close lid. Grill over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until grill marks appear on the bottom of the crust. Carefully flip crust over using tongs or spatula.
• Brush crust with 2 tablespoons of the reserved preserves mixture. Layer with 1/2 of the cheese, grilled sausage and vegetables. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons preserves mixture. Top with remaining cheese and pineapple. Close lid. Grill 3 to 4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is browned. (Check pizza often to avoid burning. Rotate pizza, if necessary.) Slide pizza onto baking sheet. Slice and serve immediately.

CRISPY GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Place pizza dough in a bowl to rise 2 to 3 times the original size, about 1 hour. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Divide dough in half; roll each half to a 10- to 12-inch diameter circle.
• Place pizza dough rounds on the preheated grill using a wooden paddle (pizza peel) and close lid; cook until grill marks appear on the bottom of each round, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from grill and flip over on a work surface. Lower grill heat to medium.
• Brush each round with olive oil. Spread half the Asiago cheese on each crust; add tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pizzas to grill with wooden paddle and close lid. Cook until bottom of rounds is cooked with grill marks and cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZAS

Steps:

• Heat a grill until medium-hot. Generously brush one side of pizza dough with oil; grill, oiled side down, until underside is golden brown and top begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. Quickly brush top with oil; flip crust. Top with thin layers of sauce and cheese. Grill until cheese is just melted, sauce is hot, and crust is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Slide pizza with a large spatula onto a cutting board. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange basil on top. Repeat to make more pizzas.

PIZZA ON THE GRILL II

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
• Roll out prepared pizza dough to a size that will fit your grill. Place on grill for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness, and flip over. Now add the sauce, cheese, green bell pepper and mushrooms.
• Cover the grill and allow to cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.