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Another try at Deep Dish Chicago Style

Photo Egg
Photo Egg Posts: 12,110

Thank you,
Darian

Galveston Texas

Comments

  • gmanrva
    gmanrva Posts: 424
    Looks pretty damn good to me!
    LGE Mechanicsville Va, XLGE Wake Va., LGE Duck NC.
    Formely Gman2 before password debacle 
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Nice work, Darian!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,869
    I’d hit it.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    edited May 2020
    Thanks, was darn good.
    I used sweet Italian sausage this time and some Greek seasoning.
    Had way more moisture this time.
    I used double the cheese but I think it was the Kroger grocery store sausage. Tasted great but I think it was watery. I pulled some off with 2 paper towels.

    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,741
    That looks exceptional!
    Stillwater, MN
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Nice work, Darian!
    Thanks buddy.
    I also used Extra Light Olive Oil this time instead of corn oil.
    Cooked on my XL last time. This time in my gas oven. Think that increased the moisture level?

    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Photo Egg said:
    Nice work, Darian!
    Thanks buddy.
    I also used Extra Light Olive Oil this time instead of corn oil.
    Cooked on my XL last time. This time in my gas oven. Think that increased the moisture level?

    Sorry, bud, I have no idea. Where's stikeman when you need him? Sounds like his sort of question.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip
    Thanks.
    Reminds me of browning up a pound of hamburger. Every once in awhile you get a pack that seems to cook out a bunch of liquid, not just fat. 
    I’m not sure why it would be bad to at least par cook the sausage first. Covered in sauce, it’s not going to dry out?
    Im going to cook up a slice of the cheese and see how much water it renders.
    I know last time I only used 1 layer of cheese and it’s sliced pretty thin. This time I doubled it up. The sauce was about the same consistency but much better quality.
    Sauce was excellent this time. Good tomatoes made a big difference.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • SaltySam
    SaltySam Posts: 887
    This looks great! I’ve never done a true Chicago style like yours.  Ive always put cheese all the way to the edge, so it gets crispy and brown.  I also put ghee on the pan before I drop the dough in.  The dough ends up buttery and the consistency is a bit more like Pizza Hut pan pizza circa 1987.  The fat kid in me will always love it. 

    San Marzano tomatoes are the good standard, as far as I’m concerned.  Smash those with a little garlic and oregano, and that’s better than any store bought sauce.  


    LBGE since June 2012

    Omaha, NE

  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,661
    👍👍👍

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,672
    looks good from here.  i buy that cento product as well, seems more pureed than whole peeled, theres another thats hard to find for me called cento chef cut that atleast is more chunky. that could be some of the watery issue and i do part cook the sausage as tiny meatball pieces
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • abtaylor260
    abtaylor260 Posts: 242
    That looks delicious! I may try to give a go at making that one of these days. Thanks for the pics. 
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    That looks delicious! I may try to give a go at making that one of these days. Thanks for the pics. 
    @abtaylor260, for the complete recipe/method, go here...
    https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1167656/how-to-make-authentic-chicago-deep-dish-pizza-in-two-hours-or-less/p1

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Nice, Darian!!

    Don't know about the excess water issue, but the Serious Eats Foolproof Pan Pizza recipe calls for a short spell on the stove, after you pull the pie from the oven... would that help here? Although that's sort of fixing the problem, instead of addressing the cause. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip

    I'm not sure either.  The only time I've ever had liquid problems on pizza is when using raw veggies for toppings, particularly tomatoes/peppers or home crushed tomatoes for the sauce, all those things tend to leach water when sitting on a pie so I've taken to straining the crushed tomatoes until really thick, and either slicing the veggies paper thin or cooking them a bit before hand.  With tomatoes I slice them thin then lay them sandwiched between paper towels to leach the water out before putting on the pie. In Darian's case I can't imagine it would be the sausage or cheese, they'd make it a grease puddle if anything rather than a water issue.  Cooking it in the oven does add moisture though, over the egg anyway, as gas ovens are a more humid environment but that shouldn't account for any puddling.

    It probably leached out of the tomato sauce but that stuff looks pretty thick.
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Zippylip said:
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip

    I'm not sure either.  The only time I've ever had liquid problems on pizza is when using raw veggies for toppings, particularly tomatoes/peppers or home crushed tomatoes for the sauce, all those things tend to leach water when sitting on a pie so I've taken to straining the crushed tomatoes until really thick, and either slicing the veggies paper thin or cooking them a bit before hand.  With tomatoes I slice them thin then lay them sandwiched between paper towels to leach the water out before putting on the pie. In Darian's case I can't imagine it would be the sausage or cheese, they'd make it a grease puddle if anything rather than a water issue.  Cooking it in the oven does add moisture though, over the egg anyway, as gas ovens are a more humid environment but that shouldn't account for any puddling.

    It probably leached out of the tomato sauce but that stuff looks pretty thick.
    I hand crushed the tomatoes and cooked them down to thicken for almost 2 hours. But they certainly could have been the issue.
    I understand the sausage should have been more of a grease issue than watery issue but I have had this issue with ground beef in the past. 
    I will go back to a better brand of sausage and cook down the sauce a little more.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    edited May 2020
    Photo Egg said:
    Zippylip said:
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip

    I'm not sure either.  The only time I've ever had liquid problems on pizza is when using raw veggies for toppings, particularly tomatoes/peppers or home crushed tomatoes for the sauce, all those things tend to leach water when sitting on a pie so I've taken to straining the crushed tomatoes until really thick, and either slicing the veggies paper thin or cooking them a bit before hand.  With tomatoes I slice them thin then lay them sandwiched between paper towels to leach the water out before putting on the pie. In Darian's case I can't imagine it would be the sausage or cheese, they'd make it a grease puddle if anything rather than a water issue.  Cooking it in the oven does add moisture though, over the egg anyway, as gas ovens are a more humid environment but that shouldn't account for any puddling.

    It probably leached out of the tomato sauce but that stuff looks pretty thick.
    I hand crushed the tomatoes and cooked them down to thicken for almost 2 hours. But they certainly could have been the issue.
    I understand the sausage should have been more of a grease issue than watery issue but I have had this issue with ground beef in the past. 
    I will go back to a better brand of sausage and cook down the sauce a little more.
    I never understood the idea of putting raw sausage into these pies.  I mean I know it's done & it works, but I've always precooked it & drained it well before putting in/on the pie to make sure it's cooked and to get rid of the massive amount of grease yielded (and maybe unwittingly even some moisture if that is what happened here), and maybe most of all to be able to pull the pie when I want rather than when I'm sure that the pork buried somewhere in the middle is properly cooked.  I'd rather pull the pie when it looks done to my liking rather that some predetermined time as related to a food safety issue.  Generally I lean towards cooking sausage on the long side anyway & I think the dough would be too well done by then, & it's not the kind of meat that can really be over cooked, pretty durable stuff that doesn't change much if you go longer than necessary

    Edit: the more I think about it I can't see it being the tomatoes, Cento is an excellent product & if you cooked it down even further it's practically sludge, & being on top of the pie it's going to evaporate up rather than puddling...  I've never made sausage but I'm led to understand they often add ice in the process so there could be a lot of added water to what you used, & if it's trapped between the dough on the bottom & cheese/sauce on top it could certainly end up on your plate like it did.  Makes sense
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Mark Malnati making pies. RAW sausage, uncooked sauce...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKbMd3_dQDE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_ymnmarRU

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Zippylip said:
    Photo Egg said:
    Zippylip said:
    Hey, maybe Zip has an idea on the liquid problem. Marc, see above pie wedge photos. @Zippylip

    I'm not sure either.  The only time I've ever had liquid problems on pizza is when using raw veggies for toppings, particularly tomatoes/peppers or home crushed tomatoes for the sauce, all those things tend to leach water when sitting on a pie so I've taken to straining the crushed tomatoes until really thick, and either slicing the veggies paper thin or cooking them a bit before hand.  With tomatoes I slice them thin then lay them sandwiched between paper towels to leach the water out before putting on the pie. In Darian's case I can't imagine it would be the sausage or cheese, they'd make it a grease puddle if anything rather than a water issue.  Cooking it in the oven does add moisture though, over the egg anyway, as gas ovens are a more humid environment but that shouldn't account for any puddling.

    It probably leached out of the tomato sauce but that stuff looks pretty thick.
    I hand crushed the tomatoes and cooked them down to thicken for almost 2 hours. But they certainly could have been the issue.
    I understand the sausage should have been more of a grease issue than watery issue but I have had this issue with ground beef in the past. 
    I will go back to a better brand of sausage and cook down the sauce a little more.
    I never understood the idea of putting raw sausage into these pies.  I mean I know it's done & it works, but I've always precooked it & drained it well before putting in/on the pie to make sure it's cooked and to get rid of the massive amount of grease yielded (and maybe unwittingly even some moisture if that is what happened here), and maybe most of all to be able to pull the pie when I want rather than when I'm sure that the pork buried somewhere in the middle is properly cooked.  I'd rather pull the pie when it looks done to my liking rather that some predetermined time as related to a food safety issue.  Generally I lean towards cooking sausage on the long side anyway & I think the dough would be too well done by then, & it's not the kind of meat that can really be over cooked, pretty durable stuff that doesn't change much if you go longer than necessary

    Edit: the more I think about it I can't see it being the tomatoes, Cento is an excellent product & if you cooked it down even further it's practically sludge, & being on top of the pie it's going to evaporate up rather than puddling...  I've never made sausage but I'm led to understand they often add ice in the process so there could be a lot of added water to what you used, & if it's trapped between the dough on the bottom & cheese/sauce on top it could certainly end up on your plate like it did.  Makes sense
    Appreciate your insight and information.
    This has been helpful.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    OH...MY...GAWD!

    FB thought it was important for me to see an add for Lou Malnatti’s mail order pies, and you do THIS to me.  Great cook, and thanks for posting. I trust that Version 2.0 will have the liquid issue resolved. 
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • Monty77
    Monty77 Posts: 667
    oh boy, that looks perfect!  Well done
    Large BGE 2011, XL BGE 2015, Mini Max 2015, and member of the "North of the Border Smokin Squad" Canadian Outdoor Chef from London, Ontario, Canada

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/monty77/