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Here's An Idea To Toss Around: Cook Pizza Outdoors

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By TONY "FATSO" SICILIANO

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 9, 2008

Every year on the Fourth of July, I promise myself that I will not be a grill hog. I will peel myself away and let someone else do the grilling. And every year I am proven a liar.

This year was no exception. The hair on my right arm hasn't started to grow back yet, but I'm not too concerned; it's not like it hasn't happened a few hundred times before. Give it a week or two.

The long weekend was great for another reason: My best friend, Frank, and his wife, Bobbi, came for a visit. Frank and I have been pals for more than 20 years. After the first day of high school, if you saw Frank, chances were good I wasn't too far away. Didn't matter if it was at football practice or working in his father's pizzeria.

In adulthood, Frank and I were tackled by life and the usual associated responsibilities. He moved to Clemson, S.C. We are often so wrapped up in our day-to-day lives that months go by without our talking. But when a long weekend comes along, it is a great chance to hop on the interstate and plow through a couple of tanks of gas to see each other.

Back in Clemson, Frank and his brother Joe own a chain of successful pizzerias, but we do our best to leave work at the office and enjoy our limited time together.

Perhaps that's why, when Frank came over for an afternoon of grilling and catching up, he looked less than enthusiastic about the idea of having pizza.

"You gotta be kidding me; I eat pizza every day," he said.

I assured him that he has never eaten a pizza like the one we were going to make, and any pizza he would ever eat again will pale in comparison.

Even Bad Is Good

What is there not to love about pizza? The toasted crust, the savory sauce, the bubbly cheese, the limitless toppings. Even if you get pizza that isn't very good, it isn't too bad.

Take all of those things that we love so much about pizza out of the pizzeria and over to your grill and you'll take it to a whole new level.

Let's face it: When you close the lid on your grill, it essentially turns into an oven, so great results can be achieved on any grill. If you have a pizza stone, that's great - they work wonderfully. You just assemble your pizza pie, slip it onto a hot stone, sit back for about 10 minutes and dig right in. If that is how you're going to cook your pizza, that's fine; just don't tell me you grilled it. What you did was cook it on a piece of terra-cotta stone.

If you want to grill your pizza, you have to cook the dough over an open flame.

Like any building, a pizza is only as strong as its foundation. Although everyone else gets all worked up over the sauce, cheese and toppings, you shouldn't lose sight of the biggest key to success: the dough. The foundation of a pizza is the least glamorous part, but there are limitless dough recipes online that are great for experimenting with.

Once you have your dough ready to go, you have a ton of options, and each pie can be personalized. For the sauce, any tomato sauce will do the trick. You can make your own or buy sauce in a glass jar.

I always recommend mozzarella cheese, but you are the one doing the cooking here: your grill, your rules. Tailor it to what you like; try cheddar, pepper Jack or Swiss cheese.

The area with the most creativity is the toppings. If you are going to have a group over, have several toppings available.

The big thing to remember is, if you're going to use meat - sausage, ground beef, bacon or whatever you like - make sure it is cooked completely before you put it on top of your pizza. Pepperoni is ready to use right off the stick.

Rolling In Dough

Once you combine your ingredients for your dough, on a floured surface, knead out balls about the size of a baseball. With your fingers, flatten the dough and spread it out into an even 8-inch circle. Lightly brush the top of the dough circles with olive oil and take them out to the grill.

Before cooking the bottom, you have to cook the top. Have your grill preheated to medium-low; be sure the cooking grate is clean and oiled to prevent the dough from sticking.

Pick up your dough and put it over the heat, with the oiled side facing the flame. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the bottom of the dough bakes slightly and turns a light golden brown. While you are waiting for the dough to cook, brush the top with a light coat of olive oil. Now carefully flip the dough and immediately start on your pizza assembly.

Sauce it, cheese it and top it off with whatever you like, then close the lid and let the pizza cook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is completely cooked and the cheese is bubbly.

Anytime you want to change your grilling routine, break out the dough and let everyone order up a personalized pizza, hot and fresh off the grill. What makes a long weekend so great isn't the time off work (although I'm not complaining); it's who you share that time with and the memories you make together.

As Frank and his family head back to their home after a whirlwind tour of a few theme parks, I hope he has a few new good memories that he made with his old friend.

TONY FATSO'S BIG SAUSAGE PIZZA

2 links Italian sausage

2 cups Bisquick

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 cup whole milk

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Oregano, pepper, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, red pepper, for sprinkling on top

Grill the two links of sausage over medium-high, direct heat until completely cooked. Set aside and let them cool, then chop them into small pieces and set aside. Clean the grill grates after the sausages are cooked and preheat to medium-low.

Mix the Bisquick with the salt and oregano, slowly add the milk and stir together for about a minute until the dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface and separate it into four balls. Spread the dough out to form even, flattened circles and brush the top side with olive oil.

Transfer the dough, oiled sided down, to the grill and cook for about 5 minutes. Oil the top while the bottom is cooking. Flip the dough and put about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on each dough round, then sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and chopped chunks of sausage. Close the grill lid and bake for about 10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Tony "Fatso" Siciliano is the host of "On the Grill Radio" from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturdays on WFLA, 970 AM. For information, go to www.onthegrillradio.com.

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