A Cal-Mex Pizza: Going Back to Cali
Cal-Mex … what is it? What does it mean? I know one thing — we all love it!
Chris Decker, Managing Partner, Metro Pizza, Las Vegas
To me, it is using California ingredients and infusing Mexican cooking techniques. With this month’s recipe, we will do just that. California is a gold mine for amazing produce. I can’t believe how much different the produce tastes here. It is really something special. Our new pizzeria is located in the Lantern district in Dana Point, and one major street that connects through is named Golden Lantern. I named this pizza after that street in honor of this city, it’s people and for all of our employees who call this place home. We use smoked mozzarella as a base, chipotle marinated chicken, pineapple pickled peppers, citrus pickled onions, cilantro, and of course the king of all California, the avocado.
Chris Decker is managing partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, NV.  Instagram: @everythingbutanchovies
- ½ pound Fresno or Serrano pepper
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 -2 lemons
- 1-2 avocado, remove skin
- 1 lemon
- Cilantro to garnish
- Smoked mozzarella
- Rotisserie chicken, pick and shred chicken and discard skin (store bought is fine to try this recipe out)
- For pineapple pickled pepper: Thinly slice peppers and put aside into a ⅙ pan (Cambro).
- Add pineapple juice, water, sugar and salt to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, pour over peppers, cool to room temp and then date, cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
- For citrus pickled onion: Add thinly sliced onion to a container and squeeze fresh lemon juice over.
- Stir with a fork and cover. You will need to stir a couple hours later to make sure all of the onions are marinating in lemon juice.
- Refrigerate for up to a week.
- For avocado: Squeeze lemon or lime juice and break apart with a fork. Be sure to still keep some body of the fruit and not make a mash.
- For the pizza: Stretch a 10-ounce dough ball to desired thickness and add to a floured pizza peel.
- Top dough with 3 ounces of smoked mozzarella and 2 ounces of shredded chicken.
- Bake pizza at 550 F for 8-10 minutes.
- When the pizza is finished baking, set aside on a cooling rack.
- Cut pizza and sprinkle pickled peppers, citrus pickled onions, cilantro and avocado over the top. Enjoy
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