Nifs Cuban Sandwich Recipes

CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Put the raisins, olives, shallot, vinegar, and oil in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until well combined. Transfer the olive mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before using.
• Open the bread like a book and spread each side with the mayonnaise and mustard. Lay 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of roast pork on 1 side of the roll. Top with 2 slices of cheese. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive-raisin relish over the cheese. Bring the tops and bottoms of the sandwich together.
• Wrap 4 bricks in aluminum foil and place in a 500 degree F oven for 15 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat (if your skillet isn't large enough you may need to cook the sandwiches in 2 batches). Place the sandwiches in the skillet and press down with the hot bricks for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is flat and browned.

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 for 2 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from heat, place on plates, and cut in half diagonally.

CHEF JOHN'S CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne together in a bowl to make the sauce.
• Trim off ends of bread. Cut loaf in half and evenly split bread to make tops and bottoms of 2 sandwiches. Spread each half on both sides generously with the mayo/mustard sauce.
• Divide sandwich ingredients between the two bottom halves in this order: 2 slices Swiss cheese, 3 slices ham, hot cooked pork, pickle slices, and 2 more slices of Swiss cheese. Place tops on sandwiches.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet and press down with a heavy weight (such as another skillet or foil-wrapped bricks). Toast sandwiches until bread is crisp and filling is heated through, 3 or 4 minutes per side.

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.

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!

CUBAN SANDWICH RECIPE

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.

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-INSPIRED SANDWICH DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Add cream cheese and Swiss cheese to a large bowl. Blend well using an electric mixer. Add mayonnaise and mustard and mix until smooth. Stir in ham, pork, salami, and diced dill pickles until well combined. Spoon mixture into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons Swiss cheese over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven's broiler. Broil the dip until the top is nicely browned and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch closely, so it doesn't burn.
• Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices to use as dippers. Serve with the hot dip.