This Hoisin bathed pork topped pizza was my dream pizza this week. With sliced pears and apples, chopped green onions and dots of aged Gorgonzola, this pizza made me feel like quite the gourmet as I proudly rubbed my knuckles on my imaginary chef’s whites and obnoxiously touted my own horn. Yes, one of my kids may have asked what the pungent odor was, and no one but me and the dog had any desire to chow it down, but I really didn’t care one little bit.

I rarely choose what I want to cook in this house of teenagers, picky eaters and  food allergies.  On the particular day of our weekly pizza night, I was feeling a bit like a doll in a tug-o-war game with two Labs.  The seams were starting to unravel and my edges were frayed. My poor twenty-one-year old niece heard me sigh aloud at work as I said, “I just need no one else to need me. Just for one day.” Her small shoulders weren’t quite enough for the weight of my complaints.

Do you ever feel like you are here on this planet to please other people?  Just for the record, all moms feel this way once in awhile. Just ask around. I am not knockin’ it because truthfully I would never, ever change that for the world, and my kids and husband are willlingly the center of my universe, BUT…and here’s a big but…sometimes, one does get tired of making decisions based on everyone else’s needs and wants (and by “one” I do mean “me”…I know I am not really fooling anyone).

So this one night, I was going to go for it. In addition to our traditional weekly pizzas with minimal ingredients for budget and ease, I was going to make one entire pizza that I was craving, just for me. Never mind that I went to THREE GROCERY STORES to find all of the right ingredients. I almost gave up at store number two when they were out of Hoisin sauce, but then, tired and a bit dejected, I decided I needed this pizza, in a big way.

So I came home, with all of the necessary provisions, tore up my left-over pork and poured the bright and rich Hoisin over it. I let it get good and saucy while I thinly sliced my pears and apples and diced the green onions. I forgot to mention, that I emailed two fellow bloggers earlier in the day for cheese suggestions; Cali of Offally Tasty and Leah of The Seven Hills Collection. Please check out their blogs; you will wonder why on earth you haven’t found them before (P.S. If you leave a comment on their blogs, I’ll share your blog post on my FB page. All 14 of my followers will get to see that!).

In the end I dove in for the Gorgonzola that I was craving all day, but their suggestions of sharp cheddar and Blue Cheese are duly noted as fabulous suggestions and will be tried for future tastings. As I rolled out dough and made MY PIZZA, the family looked on as if to say, “What is happening here?!” “Who would eat THAT?!” as I smirked and pretended to ignore their obvious dismay. We all quickly and haphazardly threw together their two pizzas while my little pizza of Hoisin perfection got my focused attention.

You know what? My pizza was outstanding. It had the sweetness, tang and freshness I was craving, and it felt really good to take care of myself for a change and make my wants a priority. It may have been a small stand, but I took it and am now ready to face the onslaught once again. I hope you get a chance to make this pizza or treat yourself to one of your own favorites.

Grilled Pizza with Hoisin Glazed Pork, Apple and Pear 

1 c. of left over shredded or chopped cooked chicken or pork (duck would be fab if you have it)
1/2 c. bottled Hoisin sauce
1 Anjou pear (or other variety), thinly sliced
1 Fuji apple (or other variety) , thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced (green part only)
crumbled Gorgonzola or shredded Sharp Cheddar, OR crumbled Blue

Pizza dough (to make from scratch…go here), otherwise buy your favorite

To Assemble the Pizza: First roll out the dough and place on a lightly floured or cornmeal dusted flat cookie sheet or cutting board.  Pour the Hoisin sauce over pork in a small bowl. Preheat your grill to a medium heat. Slide dough onto the grill and cook for about two minutes a side (or until it looks slightly cooked with grill marks and flip). Grill both sides until there are grill marks. Slide crust back onto a cookie sheet. Bring in your pizza crust and place your sliced apples and pears on the pizza. Cover with pork and sprinkle with green onions. Top with the amount of cheese you desire.

Slide pizza back on to grill, turn grill on low and close lid. We turn off the burners below the pizza and keep on the the burners surrounding the pizza. Melt toppings until toasty.

If you are baking your pizza in an oven, PREHEAT YOUR OVEN to 500 degrees. Turn down to 400 and cook your crust for 5 minutes. Then pull out and top with toppings. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until crust is cooked through and toppings are hot and melted.