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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Easy Pizza Dough for Personal Pies

Using bread flour is the secret for crusty pizza—one that holds up to a lot of sauce and toppings! You can make two large rounds from this dough, but making individual pizzas is more fun. Note: If you’re able to find instant yeast, you can streamline the technique even further, as it can be mixed with the other dry ingredients for a few seconds before adding the water and oil, before proceeding with the kneading as described. 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, about 110-115°F, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (or one envelope) active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 4 cups bread flour, plus more as needed 
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions

Step 1

Place the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Turn it on for a few seconds to mix and then wait 5 minutes for the yeast to bubble up. 

Step 2

With the mixer on the lowest setting, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the salt, and the flour to the bowl. Once a doughy mass forms, slowly raise the speed and continue kneading until the dough ball is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If the dough feels too dry, add more water, a scant tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add more flour, a scant tablespoon at a time.

Step 3

Lift the dough out of the bowl, remove the dough hook, and pour in the last tablespoon of olive oil, coating the bowl thoroughly. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 60 minutes or so (depending on how warm your kitchen is) until double in size and spongy.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 450° or 500°F, depending on how high it goes. Gently transfer the dough from the bowl to a large piece of parchment paper. Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut the dough into quarters. Transfer three of the pieces onto their own sheets of parchment. If the dough is sticky, first sprinkle the parchment paper with flour or some cornmeal. One piece at a time, stretch out the dough with your hands, rotating it by quarter turns until it reaches your desired thickness. The shape—round, rectangle, or oblong—is up to you, but keep a slight lip all along the perimeter. Transfer the pizzas to large baking sheets (you should be able to fit two per sheet). Use scissors to trim the parchment to within two inches of the dough.

Step 5

Working in batches as needed based on your oven capacity, bake the pizzas for 8 minutes. Carefully take them out of the oven, add your desired toppings, and return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes or until bubbly.

 Yields 4 individual pizzas

Pork Tenderloin with Tomato and Onion Salad

If you’re firing up the grill this weekend, this simple but colorful dish makes an impressive centerpiece. For a crowd, simply double or triple the recipe. In addition to the tomato and onion salad, make a tasty side dish by first grilling up seasonal vegetables—brush them with olive oil and cook for two minutes per side or until tender. Note: You can enjoy this pork dish any time of year by cooking it in a large cast-iron skillet on your stovetop.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly slivered lengthwise
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, or to taste 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the pork 
  • 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each

Directions

Step 1

Place the tomatoes and onions in a medium-sized bowl. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the garlic, vinegar, parsley, cumin, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and shake vigorously until emulsified. Pour over the tomato-onion mixture and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate while grilling the pork. 

Step 2

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Lightly coat the pork with olive oil and season it generously with salt and pepper. Grill the pork until nicely browned on the outside, turning as needed, and cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F—it will be slightly pink in the center. Let rest for three minutes, then slice crosswise on a diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Shingle on a platter.

Step 3

Stir the tomato-onion salad once more, taste for seasoning, and then spoon it around the pork. 

Yields 4 servings

Herb-Marinated Beef Tenderloin

Tenderloin is one of the most elegant cuts of meat, wonderful for romantic dinners and other festive occasions. This recipe features the two-step process called “reverse searing.” It yields meat that is uniformly pink from edge to edge. You can make it an hour ahead of time and serve it at room temperature—it’s perfect as the centerpiece of a buffet.

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish 
  • 1 sprig fresh basil, stems and leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh sage, stems and leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 
  • 1/4 cup red wine, such as a Shiraz 
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving 
  • 2-pound center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed 

Directions

Step 1

Strip the thyme and rosemary sprigs, placing the leaves/needles on a cutting board along with the basil, sage, garlic, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt; coarsely chop everything together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the black pepper and the wine. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.  

Step 2

Place the tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours (or overnight), turning the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.  

Step 3

When ready to cook, drain the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, place on a rack in a roasting pan, and let it come to room temperature for up to an hour. Preheat your oven to 250°F. If you have one, insert a remote temperature probe in the thickest part of the meat. Roast the meat until the internal temperature reaches 110°F. If you don’t have a probe, use an instant-read meat thermometer and start checking after an hour. Remove the meat from the oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes. 

Step 4

Meanwhile, preheat a cast-iron grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. (You can also finish the tenderloin on a grill.) Rub the tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sear on all sides until the outside is deeply browned and caramelized and the internal temperature is 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil again. Let rest for 5 minutes. 

Step 5

Carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices, reserving the juices. Shingle the slices on a warmed platter. Drizzle with the juices and additional olive oil and garnish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. 

Yields 6 servings

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Verdant and bold-flavored, chimichurri is one of South America’s finest contributions to the world’s sauces. If available, buy “outside” skirt steak, which is considered superior in flavor and tenderness to “inside” skirt steak. Or substitute flank steak or flat iron steak.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

For the marinade

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • The juice of 1 lime

For the Chimichurri Sauce

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/2 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian blend herbs
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste

Directions

Step 1

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Combine the marinade and steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and chill for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. (An overnight marinade gives the steak more flavor.)

Step 2

Combine all the ingredients for the Chimichurri Sauce in a blender or food processor and process until fairly smooth. heat up until the fat starts to cook out of the fish, about 4 minutes. At this point, you may press gently on fish so that the skin is flat against the pan. Continue to cook until the skin is super-crisp and the flesh is mostly opaque (you can increase or decrease the heat slightly if needed, but don’t try to rush it), 8 to 12 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Less fatty fish won’t release as much fat on their own, so you may need to add a splash more olive oil into the skillet if the skin isn’t getting crisp enough. Turn the fish and cook just until opaque all the way through, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Preheat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Oil with vegetable oil. Sear the steak for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned on the outside and pink in the middle.

Step 4

Thinly slice the steak on a sharp diagonal across the grain and serve with the Chimichurri Sauce on top.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from lecremedelacrumb.com