Cuban Sandwich Empanadas Food

CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• To make the Cuban Roast Pork: Mash the garlic and salt together using a mortar/pestle.
• Place the mash mixture in a small bowl; add in oregano, onion, and sour orange juice; mix thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add in the mash mixture and whisk to blend.
• Remove from heat and set marinade aside.
• Pierce the pork roast with a sharp knife or fork.
• Set aside a small amount of the marinade for use during the roasting period.
• Pour remaining marinade over the pork, cover, and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°; remove pork from marinade and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Sprinkle reserved marinade over pork.
• Roast until completely cooked and a meat thermometer registers 160° (about 20 minutes per lb).
• Baste occasionally with the pan juices.
• Remove pork from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before thinly slicing the meat.
• Bring remaining pan juices to a boil and simmer until juice is reduced by half; use this juice to sprinkle onto the meat in the sandwiches.
• To make the sandwiches: cut the bread into 4 sections, each about 8 inches long; slice these sections in half horizontally; spread butter on the inside of both halves.
• Generously layer sandwiches with filling ingredients in the following order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese.
• Spread with the optional mustard or mayonnaise if desired.
• Preheat a pancake griddle or large skillet.
• Lightly coat hot griddle or skillet with cooking spray; add in the first sandwich (make sure that your griddle or skillet is not too hot or the crust will burn before the cheese melts).
• Place a heavy iron skillet on top of the sandwich to flatten it (you want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about a third of its original size).
• Grill the sandwich for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
• Repeat the process for each sandwich.
• Slice each sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
• Note--Additions like Genoa salami, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and onion have become popular in the past forty years but are considered heresy by purists; in the old days, the sandwich was brushed on the outside with a small amount of pork drippings.

CUBAN SANDWICH EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix the flour and butter in a bowl.
• With your fingers, work the butter into the flour. Then beat the egg into the water and pour the water/egg mixture into the flour and mix with a fork.
• Once it comes together, begin kneading with your hands. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth.
• Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C, or gas mark 2).
• Chop the pork into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes.
• Toss in the vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
• Place in an oven-safe frying pan and cover with foil.
• Bake for 2½ hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.
• Remove from the oven and shred the pork with the cooking liquid.
• Roll out your empanada dough into 8 thin rounds.
• Place one-eighth of the pork filling, 2 pickle slices, 2 cheese slices and 1 ham slice on each round.
• Fold the round over and seal by lightly wetting the edge with your finger.
• Fold little bits of dough over itself to form that famous empanada look (see picture on page 16).
• You can bake or fry these empanadas. To fry, heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350F (180C). Gently drop in your empanada and let it cook until browned, about 2 inutes. If you want to bake it, set the oven for 400F (200C, or gas mark 6), and lightly flour a baking sheet. Mix the egg with the water (1 egg and 1/4 cup water) and beat until smooth.. Place your empanadas on the sheet and brush nice and evenly with the eg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.