Original Cuban Sandwich Food

THE ULTIMATE CUBAN SANDWICH

The Ultimate Cuban Sandwich image

Provided by Tyler Florence

Time 1h24m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 pound boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 long Cuban bread roll
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
1 cup bread and butter pickles
8 thin slices deli ham
Olive oil
You can do this in a regular Dutch oven, but for convenience and time use a pressure cooker as follows:

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.

CUBAN SANDWICH

Cuban Sandwich image

It is generally believed that the Cuban cigar workers who migrated to the Tampa, FL area/Ybor City back in the early 1900's brought the Cuban sandwich to the US. Originally called the "mixto" or mixed sandwich, the Cuban, as it is known today, became a workingman's lunch for those employed in the cigar industry. Note--if you can't get sour oranges in your area, try equal parts of orange and grapefruit juice or 2 parts orange juice to 1 part lemon juice and 1 part lime juice.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories Lunch/Snacks

Time 1h34m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup minced onion
1 cup sour orange juice
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
1 (2 lb) boneless center cut pork loin roast
Cuban bread
butter, softened
sliced dill pickle
1 lb thinly sliced cuban cooked pork
1 lb thinly sliced good-quality ham
1/2 lb thinly sliced mild swiss cheese
yellow mustard (optional)
mayonnaise (optional)

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1430.4, Fat 97.9, SaturatedFat 33.2, Cholesterol 340.3, Sodium 2578.1, Carbohydrate 14.6, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 7.7, Protein 117.6

CUBAN SANDWICH RECIPE

Cuban Sandwich Recipe image

This Cuban sandwich recipe is as easy as it is scrumptious. A classic deli-style Sammy made with roasted pork, ham, swiss, pickles, and mustard on buttery-crisp bread!

Provided by Diana

Categories Main Course

Time 55m

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic (minced)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large Cuban loaf or 4 smaller ones (they can be hard to find so sub with hoagie rolls, or Italian or French bread)
⅓ cup yellow mustard
8 ounces swiss cheese
1 pound smoked ham slices
4 large dill pickles (sliced)
Sliced pork (from above)
2 tablespoons butter (softened to room temperature)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the pork marinade ingredients (olive oil, orange juice, lime, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper).
Place the pork tenderloin on the baking sheet, and pour the marinade over the pork so it's well coated.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F/63°C.
Remove from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes then transfer to a cutting board and slice into ¼ inch thin slices.
Slice the bread in half lengthwise. If using a large loaf, then cut in halves to make a total of 4 sandwiches.
Layer half of the cheese over the bottom piece of the bread, followed by ham, pork, pickles, and the remaining cheese.
Over the top pieces of bread, spread mustard, and cover the sandwiches.
In a skillet/pan, melt the butter, place one or two sandwiches in the pan, and press down with something heavy (cast iron pan). Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until the cheese has melted and the bread is lightly golden. Repeat the same process with the rest of the sandwiches.
Cut the sandwiches in half, and serve with potato chips.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 847 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 68 g, Fat 53 g, SaturatedFat 23 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 211 mg, Sodium 3391 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, UnsaturatedFat 27 g, ServingSize 1 serving