Nifs Cuban Sandwich Food

CUBAN SANDWICH (CUBANO)

Steps:

• Heat your skillet or griddle: I like to use two cast iron skillets nested on top of one another, pressing the sandwich in between. To use this method, place both skillets (one on top of the other) over medium heat and let them heat through. If using a panini press set it to medium heat. The skillet or griddle shouldn't be screaming hot, but it should radiate enough heat to toast the bread slowly. If you aren't using the double pan method or a panini press, just use anything you have to weigh the sandwich down - a foil wrapped brick, your spatula, whatever you have will do.
• Serve: Remove your sandwich from the skillet or griddle. Slice your sandwich according to the number of guests you need to serve and serve the sandwich with a handful of chips and a pickle or two. LEFTOVERS! Leftovers should be wrapped in foil and stored in the refrigerator. They may be reheated by cooking the same as above.

CUBANO SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a sandwich press to medium heat.
• Drizzle the onion and pepper with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the onion and pepper on the sandwich press, close and cook until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Slice into strips.
• Brush the outside of the bottom half of the bread with some of the melted butter. Brush the inside of both halves with a generous amount of the Mojo Mustard. On the bottom half of the bread, layer the sliced deli ham and top with the carnitas. Top with the gherkins, grilled onion and peppers and finally the cheese. Top with the top half of the bread and brush with more butter. Slice in half widthwise.
• Place both halves in the sandwich press, close, press down and cook until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut in half to make 4 sandwiches.
• Mix together the mustard, honey, chili paste, oregano, cumin, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic and some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Set the slow cooker to high. Put the pork cubes in the slow cooker and season all over with the chipotle powder and some salt. Turn any pieces with the fat cap upright. Nestle in the garlic, cinnamon sticks and yellow onion. Pour the orange soda, vegetable oil and orange juice and zest over the pork. Cover and cook on high until super tender, about 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to broil.
• Transfer the pork chunks to a baking sheet fat-side up. Let the liquid in the slow cooker settle so the fat is on the surface. Scoop off about 1/4 cup of the fat and drizzle over the pork chunks. Broil until the meat is crispy and the fat is bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Slice the bread horizontally in half, leaving 1 edge intact. Lay the bread open and spread each side with the mustard. Divide the ingredients evenly among the slices of roll. Start with the ham followed by the pork, cheese, and dill pickles. Bring the tops and bottoms together.
• Heat your panini maker or sandwich press. Butter each side of the press. Place the sandwiches inside, press down and grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is flat and browned, approximately 10 minutes. If you don't have a sandwich press, you can heat 6 fireplace bricks wrapped in foil, in a 500 degrees F oven for 1 hour and then press the sandwich between them for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

NIF'S CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Cut French loaf lengthwise.
• Spread butter on top and bottom. Generously add mustard, don't be shy!
• Layer ham, cheese, pickles and cucumber. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Put top on the sandwich and cut into 3 or 4 equal pieces.
• Heat pan to medium-high temperature.
• Baste top of one section with olive oil and place oiled side down in pan. Baste other side with olive oil.
• OR Heat sandwich press or plancha to medium-high. Only use the flat side, no grooves on this sandwich! Close until toasted and cheese is melted!
• For pan - Place heavy item on top of sandwich - I used 2 nested pots. Toast for 5 minutes.
• Turn sandwich over and toast for another 5 minutes.
• Turn the heat down and put a lid on the pan to finish the melting. I can see how a sandwich press might do a better job because it's not easy to heat through if you have too many layers.
• Cut each sandwich diagonally and enjoy!

ORIGINAL CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Cut Cuban bread to desired size, common size is 7 inches. Next, slice open the bread down the middle. On the topside of the bread spread 1-ounce of mustard, evenly across. Then place 4 pickles on top of the mustard. You then place 1 slice of Swiss cheese on top of the pickles. Slice ham to desired thickness, recommended size is 1 1/2 ounces per slice, the thinner the better. Now fold each slice of ham in half and place evenly on bottom of bread. On top of the ham, place slices of roast pork, 1 1/2 ounces per slice. You then join both halves of the sandwich. You are now ready to grill your Cuban sandwich.
• Use a sandwich grill if you have one, a waffle iron if not. Spread butter on top of the bread evenly. Close the grill, smashing the sandwich. Leave sandwich in the grill until top of bread turns to a golden brown, and top is crisp. Approximate time is 4 to 6 minutes. After the sandwich is crispy and the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich carefully and slice it diagonally, from corner to corner. DO NOT USE A MICROWAVE OVEN!

CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat a flattop or pan on medium heat.
• Slice alpine roll in half and butter each side. Set roll on flattop and cook until warm and toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange pork loin and ham on the flattop in piles shaped like the roll and grill until warm, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip and place 2 pieces cheese on each pile of meat. Grill until the cheese has melted. Meanwhile, remove toasted roll and spread mayonnaise on both halves, then add mustard to half. Place ham and cheese on one half of the roll, then place the pork loin on the other half. Add pickles (don't be shy-add a lot! They make the sandwich!) to the bottom half and top with the other side of the roll. Cut sandwich in half and enjoy!

CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a mini food processor, combine the mayonnaise and chipotles and process until smooth. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with the chipotle mayonnaise. Assemble the sandwiches with the ham, cheese, pickles and roast pork. Top the meat with a spoonful of the pork pan juices and season with salt. Close the sandwiches and tuck in any overhanging filling.
• Using an electric sandwich grill press, grill the sandwiches in batches until crispy and hot.
• Alternately, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set a large skillet or griddle over moderately low heat. Arrange the sandwiches on the griddle and cover with a large baking sheet weighed down with a heavy skillet. Cook the sandwiches, turning once, until they're crisp on the outside, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately; pass the remaining pan juices separately.
• Using a small, sharp knife, make 1-inch-long slashes in the skin of the pork shoulder, about 2 inches apart. Rub the garlic into the slashes and along the underside of the pork.
• In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, oregano, pepper, adobo seasoning, and salt and pepper. Stir in the green pepper and onion, then add the pork, skin side up. Refrigerate overnight turning the meat once or twice. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast until very tender, about 3 hours. Let cool in the liquid. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and discard the skin and fat. Strain the pan juices into a glass measure and skim off the fat. Slice or shred the pork, as desired.

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.