Nifs Cuban Sandwich Recipes

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.

CUBAN SANDWICH BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Mix yellow and Dijon mustards together and spread evenly over baguette slices. Top 1/2 of the bread slices with 1/2 of the Swiss cheese and place on the rack on the baking sheet. Top each with pickle slices, ham, pork loin, and remaining cheese. Top sandwiches with remaining baguette slices.
• Spread mayonnaise over the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with garlic powder. Spray the bottom of a second baking pan with cooking spray and place upside-down on top of the sandwiches. Weigh down the top pan with a heavy, oven-safe item such as a cast iron skillet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove top pan and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

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!

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!

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 BREAKFAST TO GO (SANDWICH) OAMC

Steps:

• There are a few different ways that you can cook the eggs. I pierced each yolk, gently stirred each of them and used a plastic egg cooker in the microwave. OR you can lightly scramble each egg in a cup sprayed with cooking spray. OR you can lightly scramble each egg in a silicon muffin tin and bake them. OR you can lightly scramble each egg and cook in a tiny frying pan (I've seen them!). It's up to you how to cook them! You basically want them to end up being cooked through and slightly smaller than the size of the English muffin.
• While eggs are cooking, open each English muffin and lay them out.
• When the eggs are done, place each egg on the bottom half of the muffin.
• Add bacon to each muffin and top with cheese.
• Wrap each breakfast sandwich in plastic wrap. I placed the sandwiches in a large resealable bag and put them in the freezer.
• When cooking, placed wrapped sandwich in the microwave. Microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Unwrap, turn over and cook on high for another 30 to 45 seconds.
• The cooking time varies on how frozen the sandwich is (fridge freezer or deep freezer) and the microwave.