Cuban sandwich
It’s finally legal for Americans to go to Cuba. To celebrate — and because there are so many great Cuban dishes — I thought I’d dedicate a week of posts to this small, exotic island country. What a great way to warm up and get through the cold months.
So, this week will be my take on a Cuban menu and by this coming weekend, you will have everything you need to throw a great Cuban feast. Today, I start with the main course, the Cuban Sandwich. It’s likely this sandwich originated here in the USA from Cuban immigrants. As Americans, we always take the foods of other countries and make it our own. So, to make this dish my own, I’ve taken the simple ingredients — ham, pork, cheese, mustard and pickles — and given the sandwich more pop. Try it — you’ll be hooked.
- 9 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 oranges
- 3 limes
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 pound deli Black Forest ham slices
- Swiss cheese, sliced
- dill pickles, sliced
- French rolls
- pork tenderloin
- Cuban mayonnaise
- butter
- In a bowl or a gallon sealable plastic bag, mix garlic, zest of 1 orange, zest of 1 lime, juice of two oranges, juice of three limes and remaining ingredients. Mix and marinate pork for 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove pork from marinade and wipe off any pieces of garlic. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven proof skillet. Sear all sides of tenderloin until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Place skillet in oven for 20-25 minutes until done. The internal temperature should be 137 degrees F. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes so that the juices set. Slice tenderloin into 1/3 inch slices.
- Mix all ingredients together and chill in fridge till ready.
- Preheat a Panini grill to medium high. Note: If you don’t have a Panini grill, you can use a dry frying pan and weigh down the sandwich with another pan and canned goods.
- Slice each roll lengthwise and slather each cut side with the Cuban mayonnaise.
- On the bottom half of the roll, put 2 slices of the ham, then 3-4 slices of the pork tenderloin, 2 slices dill pickles and finally 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Then top with top half of roll.
- Rub a bit of butter on the top of the roll and then place in Panini grill and grill until the cheese melts and sandwich compresses, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill and cut in half at a diagonal.
