Cuban Sandwich With Plantain Chips Food

THE ULTIMATE CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.
• Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
• Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
• To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
• To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.

CHICHARITAS OR MARIQUITAS (CUBAN PLANTAIN CHIPS)

Steps:

• 1. Pour the oil to a depth of 2 or 3 inches in a deep - fat fryer, a dutch oven or heavy skillet such as cast iron. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• 2. Peel the plantains, slice lengthwise for Mariquitas or in round chips for chicharitas, as thinly as possible, Using a mandolin if you have one, with the blade at it's thinnest opening. Slide them into the hot oil in small batches. You don't want them to clumb together. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning with a metal skimmer. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and/or mojo. Serve at once.
• 3. Mojo: Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, do not let the garlic get brown or it will be acrid tasting. Add the sour orange juice, cumin, and the salt and pepper. Stand back; the sauce may sputter. Bring to a rolling boil. taste to see if correct seasoning salt if needed.
• 4. Cool before serving. Mojo is best when served within a couple of hours of making, but will keep in the frig for several days, well capped in a jar. When cool sprinkle over your plantain chips. Can be used to flavor Cuban sandwiches, boiled yucca, grilled seafood and meats and of course fried green plantain chips. Note: I prefer to use more lime juice then orange juice, as I like it very tart. I have seen some recipes for Mojo using cilantro in it, but that is not traditional to the Cuban Cuisine. Enjoy
• 5. Above you see the Cuban Chicharitas and Mariquitas. I have also included some green plantains to show how green they should be. Green Plantains can be difficult to peel if you don't know how to do it. Run a sharp steak knife the point only down the seams of the plantain from the top to the bottom. Make sure you stick the point of the knife down to where you can feel the plantain under the peel. After doing this on all the seams take the point of the knife and gently pry up the peel where you cut working the knife gently all along the cut under the peel and prying up the peel as you go down the cut. The peel will give way and come off all in one piece. Then go to the next seam and do the same thing until you have pryed the peel off all the way around the plantain. Then you can go to your mandolin and start slicing. Good Luck

SUPER GRILLED "CUBAN" MIDNIGHT SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and Italian dressing.
• Spread mixture on hoagie rolls.
• Spread each roll with mustard.
• On each roll, arrange layers of turkey, ham, and cheese.
• Top each with dill pickle slices. Close sandwiches, and brush tops and bottoms with olive oil.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place sandwiches in skillet. Cook sandwiches for 2 minutes, pressing down with a plate covered with aluminum foil. Flip, and cook 2 more minutes, more or less!

CUBAN SANDWICH WITH PLANTAIN CHIPS

Steps:

• For the sandwich: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have the pork at room temperature. Season it with salt and pepper. Put the roast into a baking pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Cover the pork with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. If not using right away, the roast can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days. When you are ready to make the sandwich, thinly slice about three-quarters of the pork roast (reserve the remaining one-quarter for Round 2 Recipe Black Bean and Pork Stew).
• Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of mustard on both sides of the bread pieces. Place 2 slices ham on the bottom half of each. Top with the sliced pork roast, then the pickles, and then the Swiss cheese. Place the top half of the baguette on top. Brush the grill with canola oil and place the sandwiches, cheese side down, onto the grill. Set a baking sheet on top of the sandwich and weigh it down with a heavy skillet or pot. Cook until the bottom is crisp and the cheese is starting to melt, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the sandwich over, replace the baking sheet and weight, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.
• For the plantain chips: In a 2-inch deep cast iron skillet, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
• Peel the plantains by slicing off about 1-inch from the top and bottom of each. With a paring knife, make a slice on each side the length of the plantain, making sure to go just deep enough to cut through the skin but not cut into the flesh. Peel the skin off to expose the flesh. If you have trouble peeling the skin then cut it off in strips with the knife. Cut each plantain in half and, using the slicing side of a box grater, slice the halves into thin chips.
• Cook the plantain slices in batches until they crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on brown paper or paper towels and season with salt.