Your Guide to Authentic Regional Eats
Growing up in the suburban South before delivery pizza became so prevalent, we quickly learned how to make homemade pizza — and not the Chef Boyardee pizza-from-a-box, either. Toasted English muffins made the perfect crust, topped with a spoonful of jarred Pizza Quick sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella, and maybe a few slices of vacuum-packed pepperoni. Of course, what was assembling these portable pies without a mouthful or two of cold cheese and pepperoni? Beto’s builds on that concept by baking large sheets of crust covered only with tomato sauce, then adding cold toppings afterwards. By the time your cuts (Pennsylvanian lingo for slices; this term is also used when describing Old Forge pizza) arrive at the table, the bottom layer of shredded provolone has already melted to the pie, which in turn has warmed the other toppings to room temperature. The result, once the wieldy slice is hoisted off the plate (after some loose cheese and toppings fall off), is a retro taste sensation straight from our childhood — and an extremely unique style of American pizza.
