Quesabarilla Pizza

• Full ingredient groups with the exact dough, barbacoa, and topping amounts.
• Full method with shaping, baking, and finishing details.
• Storage, nutrition, and gear notes for repeatable results.

• 6‑ to 8‑quart electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot
• Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
• Kitchen scale or measuring cups
• Pizza stone or baking steel and peel (or rimmed baking sheet)
• Large skillet
• Blender or immersion blender
• Bench scraper
• Small bowl and whisk
• Meat thermometer

Base recipe makes 4 servings4 servings. The servings control keeps everything in sync so the recipe still feels balanced when you scale.

• bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• lukewarm water (100–105°F / 38–41°C)
• fine sea salt
• instant yeast
• sugar or honey
• extra‑virgin olive oil

• beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 3–4 large chunks
• neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
• garlic cloves, peeled
• Chipotle peppers in adobo — start with 3 peppers + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce and add more to taste
• low‑sodium beef broth
• fresh orange juice
• apple cider vinegar
• ground cumin
• dried oregano
• smoked paprika
• kosher salt (adjust after cooking)
• freshly ground black pepper
• bay leaves

• low‑moisture mozzarella, shredded
• Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese, shredded
• shredded barbacoa (reserve sauce)
• red onion, thinly sliced (optional: quick‑pickle)
• jalapeños, thinly sliced (seeded if desired)
• olive oil, for crust
• crumbled cotija or queso fresco
• crema or sour cream
• cilantro leaves, picked
• limes, cut into wedges

• Protein: Beef chuck roast, mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca
• Produce: Garlic, red onion, jalapeños, cilantro, limes, oranges
• Dairy: Cotija or queso fresco, crema or sour cream
• Pantry & Spices: Bread flour, sugar or honey, olive oil, neutral oil, instant yeast, fine sea salt, kosher salt, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo

1. 1.Make the dough and start the first rise. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and sugar. Whisk the water and oil together, pour into the dry ingredients, then add salt. Mix until shaggy and knead 8–10 minutes (or 6–7 minutes with a stand mixer) until smooth and slightly springy. Coat lightly with oil and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 60–90 minutes.
2. 2.Sear the beef and blend the sauce. Pat the chuck roast dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. In your pressure cooker on Sauté (or a skillet), heat the neutral oil until shimmering and brown the beef on all sides. Blend garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo, orange juice, cider vinegar, beef broth, cumin, oregano, paprika and remaining salt into a smooth sauce.
3. 3.Pressure cook and crisp the barbacoa. Return the beef to the cooker, pour the blended sauce over and add bay leaves. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes, allow a 15‑minute natural release, then quick‑release. Shred the beef with two forks, then sauté the shredded meat in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid 6–8 minutes until some edges crisp. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. 4.Finish the dough and preheat the oven. When the dough has doubled, gently deflate and divide into two equal pieces. Shape into tight balls and rest 20 minutes, covered, to relax the gluten. Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C for at least 45 minutes.
5. 5.Assemble and bake the pizzas. On a floured surface, stretch each dough ball into a 12" round with a slightly thicker rim. Transfer to a parchment‑lined peel or inverted baking sheet dusted with semolina. Brush the crust lightly with olive oil, scatter about 1¾ cups cheese, then spread 7–8 oz warm shredded barbacoa evenly. Top with remaining cheese and slide onto the preheated stone/steel. Bake 6–8 minutes, rotating once, until the crust is blistered and the cheese is bubbling.
6. 6.Finish, garnish and serve. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and rest 1–2 minutes. Drizzle with crema, sprinkle cotija, pickled or raw red onion slices, jalapeños and cilantro leaves. Squeeze lime over the top, slice into 6–8 pieces and serve immediately while the crust is crisp and the cheese is molten.

Refrigerate leftover shredded barbacoa in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of reserved sauce or broth to keep it moist, then crisp the edges over medium‑high heat. Dough balls can be refrigerated after the first rise for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature for about an hour before shaping. Leftover pizza keeps 1–2 days in the refrigerator; reheat on a wire rack in a 425°F/218°C oven for 6–8 minutes or in a covered skillet for 3–4 minutes to remelt the cheese while keeping the crust crisp.

These are rough estimates based on 4 servings and typical ingredients. Actual values will change with your brands, exact portions and sides. Use this as a general guide, not medical or dietary advice.