We've got a taste of some Chicagoland deep dish pies right here.
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Pal Joey's in West Chicago has been serving it's twist on the classic for 42 years, with signature sauce, sausage blend and dough recipe throughout time. Co-owner Greg Miller said there's a pound of cheese on their large pies!
Burt's Place in Morton Grove is the fourth iteration of Burt Katz's pan pizza masterpieces. Though he has passed away, his method lives on in the hands of new owner Jerry Petro.
"Use your palms, not too much of your fingertips," Petro said as he spread the dough inside a well-season pan.
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He's changed the layout of sausage in the pan, but has kept everything else as he learned it.
"The satisfaction to me is when people say 'it's just like Burt's.'"
"Just like Burt's" means caramelized crust--with charred cheese embedded into the flaky dough. Placing the private label mozzarella right on top of the dough helps with that caramelizing.
Another place cheese hits dough: Pizzeria Uno, the original deep dish pizza. General manager April Gavin said the cheese is "protective," helping to make sure each layer cooks through properly. The sauce has chunks of tomato that the team will hand-rip into the pie. A medium pizza there can weigh about five pounds--so they're not short-changing you on toppings.
Whether you're celebrating with one of these pizzerias or somewhere else, we hope you have a very Happy National Pizza Party Day!