Pizza Ginger

This is pizza by way of a stir-fry. Thin slivers of sirloin marinate in dry sherry, fresh grated ginger, garlic, and chili sauce, then get spread over a pizza shell with scallions and red bell peppers before a quick blast in a hot oven.

No tomato sauce. No mozzarella. The marinated beef IS the topping, and the ginger-sherry-garlic combination creates its own savory glaze as it bakes. The cornstarch in the marinade helps the juices cling to the meat instead of running off and making the crust soggy.

That 30-minute marination in the fridge is doing real work. The sherry tenderizes the beef while the ginger and garlic penetrate the thin slices. Stir it a couple of times so every piece gets equal flavor time.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the steak as thin as possible. Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes first. Partially frozen meat slices paper-thin with almost no effort.
• Spread the topping evenly in a single layer. Piling it up means the beef steams instead of roasting.
• The oven needs to be screaming hot. The high heat crisps the crust and sears the beef edges in under 10 minutes.

Variations

• Teriyaki version: Swap the sherry and chili sauce for teriyaki sauce and add a drizzle of sesame oil.
• Add cheese: A sprinkle of smoked Gouda or provolone melts nicely with the Asian flavors if you want something more traditional.
• Chicken swap: Thinly sliced chicken breast works as a lighter alternative to sirloin with the same marinade.