Primal Pizza

Meatza
Looking for a different kidn of pizza? One that’s gluten-free, grain-free, and low in carbs? Try this. I found a blog called Against the Grain cool recipe on line for something called Meatza. It looks a lot like a regular pizza––complete with red sauce, veggies, and cheese. You can cut it with a knife and fork or pick it up with your hands. 

Apparently there are a variety of low-carb, grain-free recipes for pizza-like creations that use baked ground meat as the base (for a crust) instead of dough. The flavor of the red sauce and cheese stand out. The meat is merely the back drop. 

You’ll find more variations on the Meatza theme on line. Dana Dana Carpender’s book, 500 Low Carb Recipes cookbook (published in 2002) also contains a Meatza! recipe. She may have been the inventor of it. I don’t know. My friend, Don, and I made Meatza weekend before last. We both thought it was delicious for dinner and worth making again. We split the leftovers and both had enough for another meal the next day.MMM! Meatza for breakfast! I had mine with blanched veggies and a side of fruit.

This recipe comes from Karen Barnaby. Here's what she says:

“If you’ve missed pizza, here’s the answer. I’ve kept the counts separate for all the components so you can make up your own toppings. Too bad about pineapple!” 

I think she means it’s off limits for those on strict low-carb diets, which I'm not on. If you’re following a moderate carb diet, you can add the pineapple. I don't mind! 

Note: “It’s important to drain the mushrooms. There is no traditional crust to absorb any liquid, so your meatza will wet and sloppy if you don’t.”

Meatza Crust

Yield: 1 (12-inch) meatza or 8 good slices; I made two 10x12-inch pizzas

Ingredients:

1 pound regular ground beef (I used leaner)
1 pound ground pork (I used beef throughout)
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon finely ground salt (I used sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Combine the pork, beef, onion, garlic, egg, cheese salt and pepper. Mix well. Pat out evenly onto a 16-inch rimmed pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour out the juices that have accumulated in the pan. The meat will have shrunk to about  12-inches and this is fine. If you make two 10x12 pies you'll have two slightly smaller squares like this:

    * Total: 2767 cals
    * Fat: 217 grams (mine was lower in fat)
    * Carbs: 7 grams
    * Fiber: 1 grams
    * Protein: 184 grams

Mushrooms & Topping

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound sliced mushrooms
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper - red is nice
1 cup tomato sauce
12 ounces full-fat mozzarella cheese, grated (I used part skim mozzarella)
1 teaspoons dried oregano, optional

1. In a large frying pan over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and fry until they are browned and the liquid has evaporated.
2. Scoop the mushrooms out of the pan into a sieve to drain and add the peppers to the pan. Fry until the peppers are slightly limp. Add to the mushrooms.
3. Preheat the broiler to high. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the base and scatter with the mushrooms and peppers.
4. Cover evenly with the cheese and sprinkle with the oregano. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned. Cool on a rack for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

    * Total: 1520 cals
    * Fat: 120 grams
    * Carbs: 40 grams
    * Fiber: 6 grams
    * Protein: 242 grams

For the whole thing:

    * Total: 4287 calories (mine would be lower w/changes I made)
    * Fat: 337 grams (mine would be lower w/changes I made)
    * Carbs: 47 grams
    * Fiber: 7 grams
    * Protein: 426 grams

You'll see the finished pizza above.

Note: I used store bought tomato sauce. To make your own, click here

Comments

[Richard Nikoley]

I'm putting it to the test tonight!

Thanks, Rachel.

And say 'hi' to Don. He's gonna give Stephan a run for his money :)

Hi Richard,

Cool, let me know what you think,

Rachel

[egk]

Primal maybe, but the word Paleo should imply NO DAIRY. Otherwise it is just wasting googling time for the casein intolerant

[Chef Rachel]

Egk,

Yes, you are correct! This recipe is not paleo because it includes dairy and many people following paleo diets avoid dairy products. I stand corrected and have changed the name of this post. I used the Paleo/Primal header because I thought the recipe would appeal to people who follow these ways of eating, either strictly or approximately with some leeway.

Some people, including me, who follow a paleo style diet include what Dr. Loren Cordain (author of The Paleo Diet) calls a weekly FREE meal or OPEN meal, a treat meal that includes foods not eaten on a daily basis. That was the spirit in which I intended to write my post.

I appreciate your comment!

Rachel

[Grok]

Beautifully done Rachel!

As a former fat kid, I really missed pizza when I ditched the grains. I've tried making it with about everything now!

Here's a list of a few that I've logged. Some have basic recipes.
http://castlegrok.com/tag/pizza/