CAMP RECIPE: Korean BBQ PIZZA
Pizza at camp? Yes you can. With the portable and versatile pizza ovens out there these days, you can easily transport one to the campsite. And with some smart prep at home, assembling and baking up that pie in the open air is a breeze.
Korean BBQ has seen a massive explosion in popularity in recent years thanks to the proliferation of Korean pop culture throughout the world. We can thank the K-pop boy band, BTS, for some of this. But, what is there not to love? It hits all the right spots with smokey grilled meats that are enjoyed with a plethora of side dishes, or bonchon. The accompany of a salad is a wonderful addition of freshness to break up the unctuousness of all the meat.
Pizza has also seen a massive explosion in recent years. Not in popularity though. No dish in the world can ever eclipse the popularity of pizza —ever. It grows exponentially in popularity with each new generation. It should be considered the official food for planet Earth. But pizza has seen a massive explosion in creativity. We’ve seen Thai inspired pizza, popularized by restaurant chain California Pizza Kitchen, a Vietnamese phở inspired pizza, Mediterranean gyro pizza, Indian chicken tikka masala pizza, and pizza with Mexican street tacos on top. So it’s only natural to have a Korean inspired pizza.
May I present to you, my version of just that, the Korean BBQ pizza.
Photo: Jordan Clark Haggard
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes one 12” pie
Gochujang Sauce:
5 Tbsp Korean chili powder
3 Tbsp sugar, honey, or agave syrup
1 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Salad Dressing:
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp sugar, honey, or agave syrup
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp applesauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp Korean gochugaru chili flakes
Pizza:
1/4lb shabu-shabu style thinly sliced beef
10 oz. pre-made pizza dough
4 oz. shredded mozzarella
1-2 handfuls spring mix
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly
3-4 stalks cilantro
6-8 pickled Korean radish, thinly sliced
toasted sesame oil
cooking oil
flour
sesame seeds
Photo: Jordan Clark Haggard
Notes On Ingredients
Gochujang sauce can also be store-bought (available at most grocery stores) if you don’t want to make from scratch
Ideally, the Korean chili powder should not be substituted with another chili powder. It won’t taste the same!
If you don’t have Korean gochugaru chili flakes, you may substitute another kind of chili flakes.
Pizza dough can be homemade or purchased from a pizza shop or grocery store.
Opt for beet-flavored Korean radish if possible to attain pink prettiness.
Photo: Jordan Clark Haggard
DIRECTIONS
At-home Prep: Before you leave for the campsite, you can make the pizza dough, prepare the gochujang sauce, and prepare the salad dressing. You may also pre-chop all ingredients to make onsite assembly a breeze.
Onsite Prep: Preheat your pizza oven (we use the Ooni) to the 725°F/400°C. Oven should preheat for at least 30 minutes. While oven is heating, remove pre-made pizza dough from cooler. Leave the dough out for at least 20 minutes to reach ambient air temperature. If it’s warm out, less time will be needed.
The gochujang sauce: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients to form a red paste, resembling something between tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add water if needed, and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.
The salad dressing: In another bowl, combine all ingredients into a mixture resembling teriyaki sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
The pizza: Lightly oil a small cast-iron skillet and place into the pizza oven for 2-3 minutes. When the oil starts smoking, remove the skillet and add the sliced beef. Lightly salt the beef and immediately place back into the oven for another 2 minutes, or until the edges of the beef start to get crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Lightly flour a camp table and flatten out dough to roughly 12” round. Flour the pizza peel and transfer the dough to it. Spoon on the gochujang sauce and spread evenly. Then, sprinkle on mozzarella to your liking—you’re the master of your own cheesiness. Arrange the crisped beef slices around the pie.
Slide the pizza into the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes, rotating every 20-30 seconds with the peel for an even cook. Before removing from the oven, lift the pizza with the peel to see if the bottom is crispy enough. Once you’re happy with the state of your pizza, remove, and place on a cutting board or cooling rack.
Dress the spring mix, cilantro, and sliced red onion with half of the salad dressing.
Top the pizza with the pickled radish, dressed salad, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Slice and enjoy your KBBQ pizza at camp!
P.S. A side of cabbage kimchi is a perfect addition to each slice.
Photos: Jordan Clark Haggard
Tips For Awesome Camp Pizza
Buy pre-made pizza dough from your local grocer or local artisan baker.
Make your own sauce. It’ll always be better than pre-made, and it’s super quick. My shortcut: tomato paste, some water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, dried oregano, chili fakes, a dash of fish sauce.
If you don’t have a portable pizza oven, use a cast iron skillet with its cast iron lid. Treat it like a dutch oven with a much lower “broiler.” Make coals (but also heed ALL local fire laws, warnings, or restrictions), oil the pan, place dough and toppings in, put over coals, and shovel coals on top of the lid. Should take no more than 10-12 minutes per pizza.
Don’t be overly zealous with your toppings. Your pizza won’t cook through properly.
Photos: Jordan Clark Haggard
Bulgogi, traditionally enjoyed with rice or as lettuce wraps, is to Koreans what phở is to the Vietnamese, matzo ball soup to the Jewish, the taco is to the Mexicans, and spaghetti and meatballs are to Italian-Americans. It’s the single Korean dish that has transcended far beyond its humble, and also some royal roots. Everyone has their own rendition of this sweet and savory meat dish, there’s no single “this is it” recipe. It’s even been popularized by Korean-American chef and restaurateur, Roy Choi, when he opened up the Kogi BBQ Taco truck in Los Angeles where he combined the City of Angel’s two favorite foods, Mexican and Korean, together into a taco. And now, you too can enjoy this unique blend of cultures at camp.