Porky Pizza

Prepare the pizza crust (see the helpful tip), then set oven to 425ºF.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over high heat. Season pork chop with salt and pepper, then sear in the hot skillet for 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook it! Allow to cool slightly, then dice into small chunks. (Don’t worry if the middle is somewhat raw, it will finish cooking while it’s baking on the pizza.) Toss the pork in a bowl with the steak seasoning, set aside.

While the pork is searing, brush pizza crust with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until edges become golden and crispy, but not brown.

Allow the crust to cool for a minute, then using the back side of a spoon, spread the ricotta evenly over the entire crust with the exception of about 1/4 inch around the edges.

Evenly sprinkle the seasoned pork onto the pizza, followed by the mozzarella, olives, Parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes (15 minutes if not using a pizza stone), or until mozzarella is melted and the edge of the crust is brown and crispy.

Top slices with fresh ground black pepper, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and, if desired, more red pepper flakes.

Helpful tip: To get a perfectly crisp pizza crust that won’t flop over when picked it up, I use a pizza stone. First, preheat stone in a 450ºF to 500ºF oven. When you are ready to prepare the crust, carefully remove the stone from the oven and immediately drape the crust over it. Carefully (and quickly) pull the crust until it covers the stone, then trim off any excess (or pinch it over to create an edge around the perimeter.) Just don’t touch the hot stone! (You may see the crust begin to rise and darken in color—this is good! It means the underside is cooking, which eliminates any floppiness later.) Brush the crust with olive oil, return to the oven and bake for a few minutes, or until it turns golden in color. Remove the crust before it browns too much, then carry on with the rest of your pizza recipe.