The Greatest Middle Eastern Beef and Pine Nut Pizza

Celebrate National Pizza Day (9th February)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

 

Ingredients
500g lean beef mince
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
300g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
2 wholemeal Lebanese breads (30cm)
2/3 cup pizza sauce with garlic, onion & herbs
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
200g grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp pine nuts
Baby spinach, coriander sprigs, Greek yoghurt, lemon wedges, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (180° fan-forced). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook mince for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and spices and cook for a further minute or until fragrant.
Meanwhile, microwave pumpkin on HIGH (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Place one Lebanese bread on each of the prepared baking trays. Divide the pizza sauce between breads, top with mince mixture and sprinkle with onion, tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts. Cook in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until bread is crisp and cheese melted.
Top pizzas with baby spinach, coriander and yoghurt. Serve with lemon wedges.

Tips:
You can also use pre-made pizza bases which are available in wholemeal and gluten free.
Beef strips would also work well in this recipe as a substitute to mince.
Cheddar, blue or goats cheese could be used instead of mozzarella.
Substitute spices for 1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning.

How to Make the Greatest Pizza

Create tasty Aussie beef toppings for National Pizza Day Step

Step up your pizza game this National Pizza Day (9th February) by using Australian Beef, the Greatest Meat on Earth, to create tasty toppings that will ignite your pizza passion.

Whether you're hosting pizza night for the family, sharing with friends or impressing your other half, take your pizza to the next level with beef. Mix up flavour combinations, cooking styles and get inspired by different cultures and cuisines.

Choose any of these hero cuts - mince, sirloin or hanger steak – and follow our expert tips and recipe suggestions to create unique pizzas at home in no time.

Mince

Mince is versatile, affordable and easy to cook. It can be paired with a variety of flavours and works well for multiple cuisines, so you can create a different dish every time you cook with mince. Whether you create beef meatballs to proudly top your pizza or pan fry with herbs and spices, mince is a simple and quick choice for pizza night.

Cooking: In a pan, mince takes a couple of minutes to cook through and become golden brown. You can also pan fry meatballs or mini sausages for around 5-6 minutes or oven bake.

Top Tips:
Use mince to create your own meatballs or sausages and chop up to top your pizza. Make a little extra and keep in the fridge or freezer for another meal.
Reuse any leftover bolognaise or beef chilli and combine with feta or mozzarella for a super speedy pizza topping.
To keep things quick and simple, substitute a long list of spices for ready-made Moroccan, Mexican or Italian seasoning.

Sirloin

Sirloin steak is tender, juicy and full of flavour. Grilled with simple seasoning and sliced up, it's perfect for creating the ultimate gourmet pizza topping. Using sirloin steak on your pizza will add a delicious depth of beef flavour and is great paired with authentic Italian flavours, Middle Eastern spices or Asian seasoning.

Cooking: On a barbecue or in a frying pan, sirloin steak takes around 3-4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Make sure you rest the steak for at least 2 minutes to ensure it stays juicy.

Top Tips:
To keep your sliced steak nice and pink, add to the pizza once it's out of the oven as a finishing touch.
Alternately, you can substitute steak with sirloin roast leftover from a Sunday lunch. Just thinly slice and incorporate with toppings of your choice.
For a low carb option swap out a traditional pizza base for a cauliflower recipe.

Hanger

The Hanger steak is found -hanging' from the last beef rib. Similar to the flank steak, hanger is suited to quick cooking on a high heat for the best texture and flavour. Whether you cook in thin strips with spices, or slice the steak after grilling and add to your pizza, this is the perfect option for a quick and easy meal.

Cooking: Hanger steaks will cook in 3-4 minutes for medium rare or can be flash fried in 2-3 minutes when sliced thinly. It's still important to rest your steak before slicing and adding to your pizza.

Top Tips:
For variety, you can swap out beef mince for sliced hanger steak in some pizza recipes. Simply marinade or grill in the same seasoning for a different texture.
Keep your pizza fresh and healthy by adding rocket, avocado or herbs once it's out of the oven.