Cubansalad Recipes

CUBANO SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil.
• Combine the radishes, tomatoes, lettuce and onions in a large bowl and toss with just enough dressing to coat. Top with the avocado.

KICKED-UP CUBAN SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad: Add the avocado, lettuce, red onion, jalapeno and pineapple to a large bowl.
• For the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Pour some of the dressing over the salad and toss, adding more if desired. Reserve any extra dressing for later use.

CHEF JOHN'S CUBAN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the starter until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Place 1 package active dry yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in 3/4 cup warm water. Let rest 15 minutes to ensure yeast is alive (bubbles will form on surface). Add lard and salt to bowl; add 1 cup of the flour. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and dough forms a sticky ball. Add the starter (reserving 1/4 cup if you want to keep the starter going, if desired. Otherwise add it all.). Sprinkle most of the rest of the flour on the dough, reserving 1/2 cup to be used if needed when kneading.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough comes together in a firm ball, adding additional flour only as needed. Dough should be soft and supple with just a bit of tackiness on the surface.
• Place dough in a bowl and coat surface with a little vegetable oil. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot to rise. Let rise until at least doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with a little cornmeal.
• Transfer dough onto lightly floured surface. Lightly press the dough into a rectangle with your lightly floured hands. Divide dough in half and press and shape each half into a long 1/2-inch thick rectangle about 12 inches long. Roll up tightly starting at the long end to form a skinny loaf. Flatten a bit. Transfer each loaf to a prepared baking sheet and dust with a bit of flour. Cover with a light, dry towel and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut a 1/4-inch deep slit down the top of the loaves with a sharp knife or razor. Mist loaves lightly with water.
• Place pans in pre-heated oven, one pan on lower rack, one on higher rack. After 10 minutes, switch pan positions. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer loaves to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.

CUBAN SALAD

Steps:

• Combine romaine, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and black beans in a large bowl; toss to combine.
• Whisk lime juice, honey, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. While constantly whisking, stream in the olive oil until dressing is well combined.
• Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad, toss, taste, and add more dressing if desired. If there's any extra dressing, refrigerate for later use.

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!

EASY CUBAN SALAD

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a 1-pint container or jar with tight-fitting lid. Tightly close the lid and shake until the ingredients are well blended. Refrigerate until ready to toss with the salad, or up to 3 days.
• Combine chopped romaine, tomato wedges, sliced radishes, sliced red onion, and chopped avocado in a large bowl. Add as much dressing as you like, and toss all ingredients. Refrigerate unused salad dressing.
• Serve dressed, tossed salads on individual salad plates.

CUBAN GARLIC SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients throughly with wire whisk. Serve at room temperature.