Elk Steak Pizza with Garlic Butter Sauce

When my brother-in-law took down his first elk, I had all I could eat meat for a year. Wanting to make a something like a Philly cheesesteak, I made this very easy and satisfying pizza. It's like Philadelphia meets Idaho. This recipe won a $250 prize for Best Entree on Brickfish.com.

DOUGH INGREDIENTS
.25 oz active dry yeast
1 ½ tsp sugar
4 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp salt

Put 1 ½ cups warm water in a bowl and add yeast and sugar. Stir and let foam for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, add 3 cups flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and stir with wooden spoon. Transfer to floury surface and kneed for 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and stringy. Lightly grease a clean bowl and place dough in it. Let rise until doubled (1 ½ - 2 hrs). Cut into thirds and freeze two of the three for a later day.

TOPPINGS INGREDIENTS
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
8 oz. elk or beef steak
½ green pepper
½ yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp butter
McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning

Begin cooking the steak on medium heat in a frying pan. Cut the onion and peppers into 1” strips. When the steak is about halfway browned (but still somewhat red), sprinkle on McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, and add pepper and onions. When the steak is done, cut it into ½” x 1” strips, roughly mirroring the size of the peppers.

Chop the garlic clove and place in a sauce pan with butter. Sautee over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Spread out one third of the prepared dough into a 14” diameter on a lightly greased cooking or pizza sheet. Brush the garlic butter on the dough and sprinkle basil and oregano on top. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese and steak, peppers and onion. Cook at 350° for about 15 min.