Cortes Pizza: A Mexican Twist

Roberta’s in Bushwick, Brooklyn is known for its inventive locally-inspired cuisine, backyard garden, radio station and for cranking out some of the tastiest pizzas in NYC. Due to a slew of press including a favorable New York Times review in 2011, Roberta’s has become a bit of a destination for locals and visitors alike, and that means folks are willing to wait up to two-and-a-half hours for a table. If you’re not planning a trip to Brooklyn anytime soon—or if waiting isn’t your style—I suggest taking matters into your own hands and making one of their famous pizzas at home. The recipe below is my take on the Cortes, a Mexican-inspired pie which is a personal favorite. It combines spicy chorizo, smooth crema and pickled onions and jalapeños for an unrivaled and totally unusual pizza experience.

The best homemade pizza starts with great dough, but if you aren’t up for making it yourself, just ask your local pizzeria to sell you some. Most places are more than happy to oblige. For the sauce, simple and raw is best. Just blend up some high-quality canned tomatoes with a bit of seasoning and you’ll have a sauce that is infinitely better than something out of a can.

Cortes Pizza
yield one pizza
A pizza stone is key here for getting a nice, crisp crust. If you like making pizza or baking bread at home it is totally worth the small investment. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can build and bake the pizza on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

1 lb of your favorite pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
1/3 cup pizza sauce (recipe below)
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños (from a jar) chopped finely
¼ lb fresh, Mexican chorizo, browned
¼ cup Mexican-style crema
¼ cup lime-pickled onions (recipe below)
2 radishes, sliced very thinly
handful of fresh cilantro leaves
cornmeal for dusting pizza paddle

Most Popular

Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 500º

1. Dust a pizza paddle or moveable flat surface (like a sheet pan) with cornmeal and place the dough on it. Use your hands to gently stretch the pizza dough to a 10-12’’ circle that is slightly thicker on the edges. Evenly spread the sauce on top of the dough then sprinkle the pickled jalapeños and pre-cooked chorizo.
2. Carefully slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake until browned and crisp, 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove the pizza to a serving board and drizzle with the crema, then top with pickled onions, sliced radishes and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, preferably with an icy cold beer on the side.

Lime-Pickled Onions
yield about 1 cup
These quick pickled onions make great additions to salads and sandwiches.

1 small red onion
juice of 3 limes (about ? cup)
big pinch salt

Thinly slice the red onion and place the slices in a small jar with a lid. Add the lime juice and salt, put the lid on and shake to combine. Marinate for at least 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Shake occasionally to distribute the juice and salt. The onions will turn hot pink, don’t be alarmed. Keeps in the refrigerator for a few weeks, as long as the onions are submerged in lime juice.

Quick Pizza Sauce
yield about 1 cup
Homemade pizza sauce is simple to make at home with just a few ingredients. Use high-quality canned tomatoes for this raw sauce, as their flavor will shine through.

14-ounce can high-quality whole peeled tomatoes
½ small clove garlic
pinch salt
pinch red pepper flakes

Drain the juices from the tomatoes and add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend until well combined, but still slightly chunky. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Store leftovers in the freezer.