Armenian Meat Pie
Armenian meat pies are traditionally made using individual serving-sized rounds of dough that are filled and folded over. This recipe streamlines that process by turning it into what resembles one large double-crust, deep-dish pizza without cheese.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
- 2 13.8-ounce cans refrigerated pizza crust
Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Add the ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, paprika, allspice, salt, pepper, and cayenne to a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine and break the meat apart. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover and microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. Drain off any excess fat.
Stir in the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, and mint. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Brush the bottom of a 14" nonstick deep-dish pizza pan or 9" × 13" nonstick baking pan with a generous amount of olive oil. Using the tips of your fingers, press one can of the pizza crust over the bottom of the pan. Poke holes in the bottom crust with a fork. Top with the filling.
Top the filling with the other pizza crust, carefully pressing it out to the edges of the pan. Generously brush the top of the crust with extra-virgin olive oil. Cut several vents into the crust.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned on top and baked through. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut and serve.
Hamburger Deep-Dish Pizza
To convert the Armenian Meat Pie recipe to a more traditional deep-dish pizza, substitute oregano for the mint and add 1 teaspoon of dried basil. Before you add the meat filling, cover the bottom crust with slices of or shredded mozzarella cheese to taste. You can also mix freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste into the hamburger filling.
