I could go for a Cuban sammich right about now too.
Making Cuban sammiches is on my “to do” list this week.
Source: Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City
Some prefer a “smashed Cuban,” which is pressed heavily for a long time.
Important notes: No mayo. No lettuce or tomato. No turkey. Good bread is essential, and La Segunda Central Bakery in Ybor City has supplied the Columbia for much of its history.
Ingredients
9" piece of Cuban bread
4 ounces smoked ham, thinly sliced
1 ½ ounces pork loin, thinly sliced
1 ounce Genoa salami (peppercorn studded preferred), thinly sliced
1 ounce Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
2 pickle chips
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Soft butter
Preparation
Cut Cuban bread in half lengthwise. Layer sliced meats and cheese in the following order: ham, pork, salami and then cheese. Place pickle chips evenly on top.
Spread mustard on top half of bread. Lightly butter both top and bottom of sandwich. Heat sandwich in press until crisp. Cut diagonally from corner to corner. Serves 1.
Glazed Ham:
1 each Fully cooked boneless pit ham (about 6 lbs.)
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Light brown sugar
Score ham in a criss-cross fashion 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Place on a roasting pan. Mix together the granulated and brown sugars. Rub ½ cup of the sugar mixture all over ham. Roast in an oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove pan from oven. Remove ham from pan and place on another (No need to change pans if fallen sugar is not burnt). Carefully rub ham with the rest of the sugar mixture. Roast in oven for 20 minutes or until sugar has caramelized. Cool before slicing
Roast Cuban Pork:
1each Fresh Pork shoulder (about 5 lbs.)
1 cup Sour Orange Juice (if not available, ½ cup lime juice and ½ cup orange juice)
8 each Large garlic cloves
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
4 each bay leaves
With a sharp knife, puncture pork in several places. Place in a shallow roasting pan. In a food processor, puree ¼ cup of sour orange juice, garlic cloves, oregano, black pepper and salt. Puree enough to form a paste. Rub paste all over pork, pushing mixture into punctured holes. Add bay leaves to the rest of the sour orange juice and pour over pork. Refrigerate and marinate for 3 to 6 hours. Roast at 350 degrees skin side up and uncovered until an internal temperature of 160 degrees ( allow 20 minutes per pound and baste occasionally). Cool before slicing.
HockeyDad wrote:
