Cuban Press Recipes

PRESSED CUBAN-STYLE BURGER

Steps:

• Form the meat into 4 (1/4-inch thick) burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and cook in a saute pan over high heat to medium doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard.
• Place a slice of cheese on the bottom portion of each bun, place the burger on top of the cheese, then top the burger with a slice of ham then another slice of cheese then the pickle slices. Place the tops of the bun over the pickles and cook on a sandwich press or wrap the burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat with a heavy skillet placed on top of the burger to press the sandwich. Cook until golden brown and cheese has melted.

CUBAN PRESS

Steps:

• Preheat sandwich press (see note below if you do not have a sandwich press).
• Cut bread loaf into 6-inch long pieces. Spread cut sides of bread with butter if desired, or mustard, or both.
• On the bottom slices of bread, layer sandwiches with generous portions of pickles, pork, ham, and cheese, in that order.
• Place top bread slices on sandwiches, and coat both top and bottom bread slices (outer surfaces) with vegetable cooking spray.
• Grill the sandwich for 4 to 5 minutes (2 to 3 minutes per side if using skillet and an iron pan for weight), or until bread is golden brown, cheese is melted, and sandwich is flattened.
• Cut each sandwich on the diagonal and serve with plantain chips.
• NOTE: Home cooks often have to improvise as many don't own sandwich presses. A waffle iron, panini grill, George Foreman grill, or bacon press will work. People have been known to cook the sandwich in a skillet and press it with a heated cast-iron frying pan or even a heated brick wrapped in aluminum foil.

PRESSED CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a stovetop grill or sandwich press.
• Slice the sub rolls end to end. Spread the butter evenly on both rolls. Repeat the process with mustard. Lay the ham, cheese, and pickle slices evenly in the roll. Put the sandwiches in a press or on the grill and cook for about 6 minutes, or until warm through or toasted on the outside.

PRESSED CUBAN SANDWICH WITH GARLIC DIJON BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• To make butter:.
• Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves); drizzle with oil. Wrap 1/2 head in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp, mustard, and butter in a small bowl; set aside.
• Double this and save the butter to make more sandwiches later!
• To make sandwiches:.
• Scoop out inside of the roll halves, leaving a 1/2" shell. Spread about 2 teaspoons garlic butter over cut sides of top and bottom halves of each roll. Arrange pickles, turkey, ham, and cheese evenly on bottom halves of rolls; top with top halves.
• Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 sandwiches to pan. Place a heavy skillet on top of sandwiches, and press gently to flatten. Grill 4 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally, and serve immediately.

INSTANT POT CUBAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken and broth in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 6 minutes. Quick-release pressure. A thermometer inserted in chicken should read at least 165°. , Remove chicken; shred with 2 forks. Drain cooking juices. Return chicken to pressure cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Select sauté setting and adjust for low heat; simmer uncovered, until heated through, 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press cancel. If desired, serve with rice.