Camp Recipe: Korean BBQ Pizza

Pizza at camp? Yes you can. With the portable and versatile pizza ovens out there these days, you can easily transport one to the campsite. And with some smart prep at home, assembling and baking up that pie in the open air is a breeze. 

Just take it from Linhbergh, a photographer and chef based in Los Angeles, who’s obsessed with cooking non-traditional camp foods. Vietnamese soups, Japanese shabu shabu,  curries—anything is fair game. And he’s no stranger to baking up world-class pies al fresco. 

You can often find him cooking out of his Toyota Land Cruiser Troop Carrier, which he and his partner Karissa consider a home away from home. “Luxurious” is how Linghbergh describes his adventure rig’s kitchen. With two stoves and a spice rack, to boot, it’s no wonder he’s able to whip up dishes like Oxtail Pho on the open road. 

We asked Linhbergh to inspire our summer camp cooking adventures with a pizza recipe made for the road and inspired by his culinary background. He answered that challenge with this recipe for Korean BBQ Pizza. Read on for the recipe, and Linhbergh’s tips for cooking pizza at camp.

makes one 12” pie

INGREDIENTS

Gochujang Sauce:
5 Tbsp Korean chili powder
3 Tbsp sugar, honey, or agave syrup
1 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Salad Dressing:
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp sugar, honey, or agave syrup
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp applesauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp Korean gochugaru chili flakes

Pizza:
1/4lb shabu-shabu style thinly sliced beef
10 oz. pre-made pizza dough
4 oz. shredded mozzarella
1-2 handfuls spring mix
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly
3-4 stalks cilantro
6-8 pickled Korean radish, thinly sliced
toasted sesame oil
cooking oil
flour
sesame seeds

Notes On Ingredients

• Gochujang sauce can also be store-bought (available at most grocery stores) if you don’t want to make from scratch 
• Ideally, the Korean chili powder should not be substituted with another chili powder. It won’t taste the same! 
• If you don’t have Korean gochugaru chili flakes, you may substitute another kind of chili flakes. 
• Pizza dough can be homemade or purchased from a pizza shop or grocery store.
• Opt for beet-flavored Korean radish if possible to attain pink prettiness. 

DIRECTIONS

At-home Prep: Before you leave for the campsite, you can make the pizza dough, prepare the gochujang sauce, and prepare the salad dressing. You may also pre-chop all ingredients to make onsite assembly a breeze. 

Onsite Prep: Preheat your pizza oven (we use the Ooni) to the 725°F/400°C. Oven should preheat for at least 30 minutes. While oven is heating, remove pre-made pizza dough from cooler. Leave the dough out for at least 20 minutes to reach ambient air temperature. If it’s warm out, less time will be needed. 

For the gochujang sauce: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients to form a red paste, resembling something between tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add water if needed, and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside to let the flavors mingle. 

For the salad dressing: In another bowl, combine all ingredients into a mixture resembling teriyaki sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For the pizza: Lightly oil a small cast-iron skillet and place into the pizza oven for 2-3 minutes. When the oil starts smoking, remove the skillet and add the sliced beef. Lightly salt the beef and immediately place back into the oven for another 2 minutes, or until the edges of the beef start to get crispy. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Lightly flour a camp table and flatten out dough to roughly 12” round. Flour the pizza peel and transfer the dough to it. Spoon on the gochujang sauce and spread evenly. Then, sprinkle on mozzarella to your liking—you’re the master of your own cheesiness. Arrange the crisped beef slices around the pie. 

Slide the pizza into the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes, rotating every 20-30 seconds with the peel for an even cook. Before removing from the oven, lift the pizza with the peel to see if the bottom is crispy enough. Once you’re happy with the state of your pizza, remove, and place on a cutting board or cooling rack. 

Dress the spring mix, cilantro, and sliced red onion with half of the salad dressing. 

Top the pizza with the pickled radish, dressed salad, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Slice and enjoy your KBBQ pizza at camp!

P.S. A side of cabbage kimchi is a perfect addition to each slice. 

Linhbergh’s Tips For Awesome Camp Pizza

1. Buy pre-made pizza dough from your local grocer or local artisan baker. 
2. Make your own sauce. It’ll always be better than pre-made, and it’s super quick. My shortcut: tomato paste, some water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, dried oregano, chili fakes, a dash of fish sauce. 
3. If you don’t have a portable pizza oven, use a cast iron skillet with its cast iron lid. Treat it like a dutch oven with a much lower “broiler.” Make coals (but also heed ALL local fire laws, warnings, or restrictions), oil the pan, place dough and toppings in, put over coals, and shovel coals on top of the lid. Should take no more than 10-12 minutes per pizza.

 

Don’t be overly zealous with your toppings. Your pizza won’t cook through properly.