Cuban Mini Melts Food

CUBAN MELT

Steps:

• For the pork brine: Whisk together orange juice, vinegar, whisky, salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, bay leaves and 3 1/2 cups water. Add pork to brine and add water to cover if necessary. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
• For the chile honey pork glaze: Cook down honey, lime juice and chile in a saucepot until mixture is thick.
• For the mojo pork: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine pork, cilantro, mint, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, pepper, coriander, cumin, clove, salt, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and bay leaves together in a large roasting pan with the pork skin-side up. Cover tightly with foil and roast 3 1/2 hours. Remove foil and cook until skin starts to crisp up, another 30 minutes.
• Turn oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove pork carefully from braising liquid. Strain braising liquid and set aside for mojo mustard. Pull pork off the bone into large chunks, discarding excess fat. Place pork on a sheet pan and toss in chile honey glaze. Add a little more glaze on top and roast until it starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
• For the mojo mustard: Whisk together the yellow mustard, herbs, garlic salt, honey and garlic oil in a bowl.
• Whisk together 2 ounces of this mixture with 2 ounces mojo braising liquid (save the rest for another use).
• For the Cubano melt: Place 2 1/2 ounces mojo pork in a foil pouch and place on a hot griddle weighed down with a hot cast-iron press on top to reheat. Remove from foil.
• Butter bread. Layer 2 pieces Swiss cheese one side of the bread, followed by ham and the heated mojo pork. Add a heavy squeeze mojo mustard, 2 Pickles, 2 more pieces Swiss cheese and top piece of buttered bread.
• Griddle on a flat top or griddle on medium-high heat with a heated cast-iron press on top until cheese is melted ooey gooey, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Slice on a bias. Enjoy!
• Heat 1 gallon vinegar in a pot with the toasted spices, garlic, salt, sugar and peppercorns. Whisk until dissolved. Combine add the remaining 3 gallons vinegar and the dill. Layer the cucumbers with the brine so herbs, garlic and spices evenly get distributed. Brine, refrigerated, for 2 days.

RITZ CUBAN MINIS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler on HIGH. Set an oven rack about 5 to 6 inches from the heat source. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
• With two forks, break apart any large chunks of the packaged pulled pork. Place the pork between several layers of paper towels and press, to get it as dry as possible. (This will help prevent the cracker from softening before serving.)
• To assemble sandwiches: Place 20 RITZ Crackers, flat side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Top each with approximately 1 tablespoon pulled pork. Next, fold a 1/2 slice of ham into thirds and place on top of pulled pork. Then, top ham with the quarter-slices of baby Swiss cheese.
• Place the baking sheet 6-inches under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from broiler.
• Top each mini bite with a 1/2 pickle slice and about 1/2 tsp. mustard then top with remaining crackers, flat side down.
• Optional: Gently insert a fancy toothpick into the middle hole of the RITZ Cracker to help hold it together.
• Serve immediately.

CUBAN LUNCH CANDIES

Steps:

• Melt together the peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate chips in top of double boiler.
• Add crushed potato chips and peanuts.
• Mix together with melted chips.
• Spoon into mini cupcake paper cups.
• (You do not even have to put these into mini muffin pans as they do hold their shape while they are being filled. It is best to put the mini cupcake papers on a plain cookie sheet to make them easier to move before chilling.) Chill until set.
• You can also add ½ cup coconut to melted chips and peanuts.
• To speed up chilling time, pop them into the freezer for a few minutes.