griddle

Sandwich Cubano

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Many years ago, in the seventies and early eighties, whenever I was spending time in Florida, partying about town nightly in Fort Lauderdale (home port for RVL) and Miami (home port for RCCL), the “Cubano” was a welcome midnight snack, when, many a night, its substantial mass and rustic deliciousness saved me and my friends from drowning in too many “Cuba Libres” and “Cervezas” 😦 🙂
The “Cubano” and its close cousin, the “Media Noche“, were omnipresent from morning until the wee-hours in small restaurants, food trucks and “Cantinas”, whereas nowadays it has been widely and sadly replaced by burgers and hot dogs and you can only find good “Cubanos” in local chains like “La Carreta” and a few remaining traditional Cuban restaurants and neighborhood dives.
Here now my tribute to this wonderful, simple, original sandwich.
“The Sandwich Cubano” – old-fashioned comfort food at its finest !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you don’t have a sandwich press, griddle or cast iron pan, wrap two bricks in alu-foil, preheat in oven at 500F, place sandwich between the bricks and bake in oven until golden and crisp, about 15 min.
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Click here for Chicharones
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Click here for Media Noche Sandwich
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Click here for all about Sandwich Cubano
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Sandwich Cubano

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pork butt (pork shoulder)

: remove skin from pork but, use for chicharones

: season pork with kosher salt, fresh-ground peppercorn and granulated garlic

: put in baking dish or cast iron pan, add some water, cook at 375F for 3 hours

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: fresh cuban bread

: cut into 2 pieces, cut open

: smear both sides with mustard, add a generous portion of sliced pork

: add sliced pickles

: add cooked ham

: add swiss cheese

: cover

: butter both sides lightly,place on sandwich press, griddle or cast iron pan

: cover with another heated cast iron pan

: cook until crisp on the outside and hot on the inside

: serve by itself, with fries, a small salad or (my preference) with a side of pineapple or mango

: Sandwich Cubano

: Sandwich Cubano

: Sandwich Cubano

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Easy Does It # 25 – Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Let’s face it and admit to the truth – no matter how passionate we are about good food, not all meals we consume must be and can be culinary masterpieces or be completely homemade in order to make us happy.
In cooking, as with love, sometimes a loving hug will do it instead of a few hours of passionate love-making (Well, sometimes…….. 🙂
I have posted some pretty simple stuff in the past and judging by the positive responses, posts about simple food are as welcome as the more complex meals.
So, I feel confident that mixing a few very simple, basic dishes into my usual mix of international food posts will be a welcome addition to the folks who are still learning their way around the kitchen, as well as for the more seasoned cooks who will be reminded that sometimes, depending on our mood, the time and/or budget, simple means best 🙂
I believe today’s dish is a perfect example of how to lift a usually mediocre dish up to new hights by choosing top-ingredients and preparing the food with love and care.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you replace the mayo with the more customary butter and grill the sandwich instead, you will miss out on the best part of this sandwich – the wonderful crust which the mayo helps to provide.
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More “Easy Does It”
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Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: smear both sides of seeded rye bread with mayonnaise

: griddle one side of each slice of bread until golden

: top the griddle side of the bread with sharp cheddar

: top the cheddar with ham, drizzle with sriracha

: top with more cheddar

: top with a slice of bread which has been smeared on both sides with dijon mustard

: top with more ham

: top with more cheddar

: top with another mayonnaise-covered, one side griddled bread, griddle side down

: griddle sandwich on a VERY low heat griddle (or cast iron pan) until golden, turn, griddle the other side

: cover and cook VERY slowly until the cheese has melted, to serve, cut in half, serve with spicy ketchup and kosher pickles

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

: Griddle Ham & Cheese Sandwich

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Easy Does It # 12 – Grill Or Griddle A Steak In Your Kitchen Without Making A Mess

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Here is a problem most folks face if they don’t live in a climate where they can grill every day ouside or if they simply don’t have the space for an outside grill and choose to grill or griddle inside:
Not only will the smell from grilling settle in the whole house/appertment, but soon all furniture and other surfaces will becovered with a sticky, smelly oil film.
To avoid this, prep your steaks in the following manner:
Pre-heat your oven broiler to the highest temperature. Pre-heat a cast iron grill pan or flat-bottomed cast iron pan until extremely hot. Season your steak liberally with sea salt. Brush lightly with peanut oil. Put the steak into the pan and very quickly put it under the broiler on the highest shelf close to the heating elements. Close the oven door and let the steak broil until your preferred doneness has been reached. All smells and fatty steam/smoke will be trapped inside the oven). Don’t flip or turn the steak from the moment it hit’s the pan until it is cooked. When done, remove steak to a plate at once (remember the carry over heat !), sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and let rest for a few minutes before you cut it. You will be happy with the result 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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