Cuban Cristo Food

MONTE CUBANO

Steps:

• Spread 1 slice of bread with mustard and top with pickles, meats, and cheese. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then mix with mayonnaise. Spread on remaining slice of bread and assemble sandwich.
• Beat together egg, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then soak sandwich in egg mixture.
• Melt butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook sandwich, uncovered, until underside is well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook remaining side, covered, until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute.

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH - THE REAL ONE

Steps:

• Heat 5 inches of oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Assemble sandwiches by placing one slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another, then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Cut sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.
• Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

SUNNY'S MONTE CRISTO

Steps:

• Preheat a griddle. Lay 4 slices of challah on a work surface. Spread each evenly with a generous amount of the Cranberry Spread. Top with a slice of Gruyere, then with a slice of ham, and cover with another slice of Gruyere. In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and mustard and stir to combine. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the remaining 4 slices of challah and lay, mayonnaise side down, on the Gruyere. One side of the sandwich will be lined with the Cranberry Spread and the other side with the mayonnaise and mustard mixture.
• In a wide bowl, add the eggs, heavy cream, chili powder, and salt and pepper, to taste, and whisk well. On a griddle over medium heat, melt the butter. Carefully dip each sandwich in the egg mixture, coating all sides. Transfer to the griddle and cook until the batter is set, bread is golden, and the cheese oozes, about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to serving plates, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Break up the cranberries using a potato masher until it forms a chunky paste. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Store leftover spread, covered, in the refrigerator.