Time: 35 minutes
Pineapple ham Pizza, sometimes referred to as Hawaiian pizza, was reportedly named after a brand of canned fruit, Hawaiian Pineapple Company. Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant in Canada, used that fruit to create the ambrosial combination in 1962. But here, skipping canned pineapple in favor of fresh fruit and using cubed ham, ideally leftovers from a bone-in roast, means juicier meat and more vibrantly flavored pineapple. The comforting mellowness of Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato-butter sauce works well with the tangy fruit and savory pork, but use whatever pizza sauce you like. As with any homemade pie, bake this hot and fast, as close as possible to your oven’s heat source, either on the highest or lowest rack depending on the model.
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil
- 1(8- to 10-ounce) ball store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
- ½cup Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce or other pizza sauce
- 1cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- ½cup cubed ham (about ½ inch)
- ½cup fresh pineapple chunks (about ½ inch)
- Red-pepper flakes, for sprinkling
PREPARATION
- Step 1
Position a rack in the oven nearest to the heat source, on the highest or lowest spot depending on your model. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease the center of a large sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Step 2
Flatten the dough in between your hands, then rotate the round in your hands like a wheel and pull it outwards to stretch into a 12-inch circle. Place the dough on the sheet pan. Evenly spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then top with ham and pineapple. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
- Step 3
Bake until the crust is browned and the toppings are slightly caramelized, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with red-pepper flakes. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Pineapple and Ham Belong Together
On the Easter table and, yes, on pizza, these smart, flavorful tweaks make the retro combination even better.
INGREDIENTS
- 1bone-in, fully cooked unsliced half ham (7½ to 10 pounds)
- 2cups canned pineapple juice
- 1pineapple (see Tip)
- 6packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 6tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 1½tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper or ground cloves
PREPARATION
- Step 1
Position a rack near the bottom of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, make parallel cuts across the surface of the ham, about a ½-inch deep and 1 inch apart, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
- Step 2
Place the ham in a large roasting pan, cut side down, and pour over the pineapple juice. Cover the ham with parchment, then cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake until the ham is heated through, 2 to 2½ hours. The internal temperature should reach 135 degrees, which takes about 15 minutes per pound.
- Step 3
While the ham cooks, trim the top and bottom off the pineapple, then cut off the peel. Halve the pineapple from top to bottom, then slice into ½-inch-thick half moons. Using a small circular cookie cutter or small knife, cut out and discard the core.
- Step 4
Carefully remove the ham from the oven and raise the temperature to 425 degrees.
- Step 5
Uncover the ham and ladle out 2 cups of the liquid into a large skillet. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, mustard and a few generous grinds of black pepper or a pinch of cloves to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat to make the glaze. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 6
Scatter the pineapple around the pan. Using a spoon or a brush, apply half of the glaze all over the surface of the ham and some over the pineapple slices. Bake, uncovered, until the glaze is bronzed, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the ham to a cutting board to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the pineapple and extra glaze.
- In some markets, you can buy fresh pineapple already peeled, cored and sliced in the refrigerated produce section. You can use that as a shortcut here or prepare a pineapple as detailed in step 3.
