No, I did not skip Delaware on purpose because of some protest of our new assumed President-Elect. Delaware's sandwich just makes more sense in three weeks (because it's a Thanksgiving sandwich.) Now that that's out of the way, we can move on to a state and sandwich that I'm very familiar with, Florida's pride, The Cuban Sandwich. I spent the first 20 years of my life driving to Florida every summer eating Cuban sandwiches from Miami Beach (Puerto Sagua) to St. Petersburg (Pipo's) so the thought of making my own Cuban sandwich living up to those standards seems pretty intimidating to me. But as I smell the pork shoulder cooking in my pressure cooker, I'm washed by a sense of a little relief. As with most of these sandwiches, the exact person of origin is unknown but it is thought to have been a popular lunch for Cuban cigar and sugar workers in and around Havana during the 1860s. By the 1880s, Cubans disenfranchised by Colonial Spain, began immigrating to Tampa (then a small fishing village) and brought with them tobacco, sugar, and rum along with their incredibly popular lunch. Americans loved the concept and embraced the "Cuban Sandwich" locally in the Tampa Bay area. By the 1960s and 70s, Cubans (including my family) were fleeing Communism in droves for Florida, where they landed in Miami. These immigrants also brought over the Cuban sandwich with them, and from there spread them to places like New York, New Jersey, and Chicago, thus paving the way for the Cuban Sandwich to become one of the most popular and well-recognized American sandwiches. The Tampa vs. Miami debate still rages on over who makes the better Cuban sandwich, however, in 2018, the late Cuban chef Carl Ruiz claimed that the best Cuban sandwich is not found in Florida but rather in West New York, New Jersey. I won't let my biases get in the way (I was born in Hudson County, home of the nation's best Cuban sandwiches), and give Florida it's time in the sun, not like they need it. With so many choices around me for a real, authentic Cuban sandwich, it was really tough for me to make this one on my own, but I'm glad I did, and hopefully, my rendition does not shame my family's name more than my broken grasp of the Spanish language already has.
1 pound boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 long Cuban bread roll
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
1 cup bread and butter pickles
8 thin slices deli ham
1. You should let the pork marinate overnight in the mojo. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano, and then put in a ziplock bag with some mojo criollo marinade (Goya makes it, you can get it at the store). If you don't have time for that just season normally and move onto step 2.
2. 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.
3. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
4. 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).
5. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment