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Monday, November 1, 2010

Cuban Sandwiches



Thursday night I finished with my last appointment about 8:00.  Kind of late to pull out the latest kitchen gadgets and whip up an exciting meal.  But, carryout didn't sound too healthy or budget-friendly.  We had honey turkey and pastrami in the fridge.  Sandwiches it was.  Now, you can "Cuban" a sandwich pretty easily.  And, Connie LOVES dill pickles.  Did I ever mention he LOVES dill pickles?  I think he could eat a whole jar of the good garlic dills at one sitting.  That and mustard.  His favorite is Dijon.  I love that and Guldens.  We have a tough time finding Guldens here in Indy so when we're on Cape Cod, I stock up.  Wonder what the TSA folks would think if they opened my suitcase and found SIX bottles of Gulden's Mustard?  Ok, fine, I'm not sure I want to know.  Remind me sometime to tell you all about bringing the screwdrivers back...  That's one of my favorite family stories. 

So, here's what wikipedia says about Cuban sandwiches:

A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers either in Cuba or in the Cuban immigrant communities of Florida, most likely Ybor City in Tampa, Florida.[1][2] Later on, Cuban immigrants and expatriates brought it to Miami[3] where it is also still very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami[2] on Cuban bread.[1]


We had some great rolls so I knew I was in business.  About twenty minutes later, dinner was served:

Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients:
two kinds of meat - ham and pork or turkey and ham or turkey and pastrami... use your imagination!
garlic dill pickle slices
swiss cheese slices
Dijon or Gulden's mustard
Kaiser rolls or bulkie rolls (for those of you lucky enough to live where they actually sell these!)

Directions:Split the rolls.  Slather them with mustard.  



Lay the turkey (or first meat) on the rolls. 



Then, the pastrami (or second meat.) 



Top with the dill pickle slices. 



Then, top with the swiss cheese slices. 



You can either cook these in a grill pan or skillet.  Whichever you choose, you need to cover the sandwiches with a weight.  You can use a full teapot inside a skillet or an actual bacon or panini press.

 Cook or grill for about ten minutes per side.  You want the cheese to get softened but not necessarily gooey.




15 comments:

Unknown said...

The fortune teller in me sees this sandwich in my near future. I will probably use my Foreman grill, giving me the marks and cooking on both sides at the same time. Thanks for sharing your wonderful sandwich!

Belinda @zomppa said...

I admit I'm not a huge fan of pickles, but the rest, I'll take!! Or I need a Connie to pick out mine. Nice meal you got!

Carolyn said...

Those look like fantastic cubans! We have a panini press, and sandwiches like that make for a quick, easy and delicious dinner.

ClassicKitchenTwist said...

I love Cuban Sandwiches! One of my fave restaurants where I used to order one every time I went burned down:( Looks great!

Monet said...

Sandwiches may not require a lot of work...but they sure do taste amazing! I would be happy with one of these Cubans any night of the week. We are also big mustard fans at our house...so I can relate to wanting to transport mustard in your suitcase. Thank you for sharing!

Foodtographer said...

I love Cuban sandwiches also...problem is finding the right bread...a couple places here in Vegas have some great Cubans but the bread just isn't right...sigh...

Tes said...

I just love hot yummy meaty sandwiches. This is definitely the recipe I am going to make for lunch :)
Thanks for this delicious recipe :)

penny aka jeroxie said...

Gosh. this post makes me want to make a sandwich like this! it is massive but so delicious.

Anonymous said...

Garlic dills..... mmmmmmmmm
These Cubans look delish!

Lane aka DinnerandConversation said...

The full teapot! What a stellar recommendation! I always suggest a brick wrapped in aluminum foil and people are always staring at me like, now why are you assuming I have a pile of spare bricks lying around. Pickles + Mustard = A little slice of heaven.

Evan @swEEts said...

I saw these sandwiches all over the place when we were in Miami.. I never tried one though. You're totally making me regret that decision.. this looks great.

BakingWithoutaBox said...

Mmmmm that looks delicious! Love the pickles. You can put extra on mine :)

Jason Phelps said...

I absolutely love this sandwhich!

Jason

Rich said...

Is it too early to remind you to tell us about the screwdriver incident?

And the Cuban is one of my favorite sandwiches that has ever been invented. This take looks absolutely perfect.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

A must try!! Thanks, Kate!