Italian Pizzeria Style Meat Pie Food

SCIACHIATTA OR SICILIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups of the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt; set aside.
• In separate small container, stir together water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for several minutes until foam forms on top.
• Make a well in center of flour and add the yeast mixture; stir until combined. If using an electric mixer, add hook attachment and knead for several minutes until dough pulls away from the sides and has an elastic texture. If kneading by hand, roll out on to floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to large bowl. To that same bowl, add the dough and roll to coat dough in olive oil.
• Cover top of dough with plastic wrap and then cover the top of the bowl with a clean towel.
• Let rise for a least 90 minutes, until dough has doubled in size.
• Punch dough down and break in half to form two dough balls.
• If using right away, let rise another 30 minutes on counter. If using at a later date, place in greased plastic ziplock and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• To make filling, heat 1 tablepoon of olive oil in saute pan. Add red pepper flakes and garlic; saute about a minute. Add ground pork and saute on medium high heat for five minutes; add parsley, salt, black pepper, dandelion greens and continue to saute until vegetables are tender and meat is slightly carmelized; set aside to cool.
• When ready to make the sciachiatta, heat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Grease 9-inch shallow pie or pizza pan or dish with olive oil.
• Roll out both dough balls to about a 6-inch circle. With the first half, using hands, press and stretch dough into the bottom of the pan, and the bottom sides of the pan.
• Brush with a little olive oil and then add a layer of Pecorino. Spread a thick, even layer of the cooked pork (about an inch or more) and then top with another layer of Pecorino.
• With hands, gently pull remaining dough over the top to cover the entire top of the pie and dish. With fingers, tuck and pinch the dough down into the sides of the pan to seal the pie.
• With sharp knife, cut several one-inch slices in top crust (to allow for steam to escape).
• Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until crust is deep golden brown; remove from oven and let cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

DEEP DISH ITALIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Brown beef in large skillet.
• Drain, add green pepper and cook 2 minutes.
• Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to skillet along with tomatoes and all seasonings.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle half of Parmesan cheese over bottom of pie crust.
• Cover with half of meat mixture, then half of Mozzarella, followed by the remaining meat mixture.
• Bake pie on cookie sheet 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and return to oven 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

PIZZA RUSTICA (EASTER PIE)

Steps:

• For the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 6 cups flour and the salt. Using a pastry cutter, large fork, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs and knead for 1 minute. Add about 1 1/4 cups ice water, a little at a time, to form a cohesive dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it forms a large smooth ball, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Mix the meats, cheeses, the 10 eggs and pepper in a large bowl.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into two pieces: two-thirds for the bottom crust and one-third for the top. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger portion of the dough into a rectangle to line the bottom and sides of a 10-by-15-inch glass baking dish, with some overhang. Add the filling and smooth it lightly. Moisten the edges of the dough with a little water.
• Roll out the remaining dough to cover the top of the dish with some overhang. Trim off excess dough and crimp the edges to seal. Poke several sets of holes across the top with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush top and edges with the beaten egg, then return to the oven until golden brown, another 45 minutes. Let pie cool completely before serving.