I guess everyone is busy with holidays right now as this place is pretty dead. I decided I better post some recipes to try to get things moving. Last year at this time I was having the time of my life in Germany. Sure wish I was there now! After such as very dry spring we are having lots of rain. I guess it is good but enough already!
I really want to make these sandwiches so as soon as I can I plan to try baking the bread and roasting the pork to make them. Not sure if I have the right bread recipe here but I'm going to use it anyway. The dancing will have to be optional....
(How to make a Sandwich Cubano / Medianoche)
Some of you may ask, why have a recipe for a Cuban sandwich, and one for a medianoche? The answer is simple; there is a distinction between the two. The medianoche earns its name from the time that it was typically eaten. After a night of dancing, the medianoche is a perfect way to stave off hunger. It’s often smaller than a typical Cuban sandwich, and it is made on a sweeter variety of bread (typically a yellow egg bread). On a traditional medianoche, there should not be any mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper or lettuce. Often times, one can use leftover meats from the fridge for a medianoche. In making a good medianoche, remember this. The Roast Pork is what will make the sandwich, so you can never leave it out. 3 thin slices of ham, 3 thin slices roast pork hot or cold (I use hot, slow roasted pork), 3 thin slices of Swiss cheese, 3 or 4 slices of pickles,
1/3 cut Cuban bread (sweet yellow bread),
You should be using fresh, sweet Cuban bread. If you don't have access to a bakery that sells this bread, an alternative is the Jewish Challah egg bread that they sell at the Albertson's bakery (if its not on display, you can actually request that they make it for you). Technically those loaves are too big, but in terms of taste, its similar. (Another website said to use hero rolls, French bread or Portuguese rolls.)
Slice the bread open face so that both halves are still barely connected and spread mustard on both halves. Add the ham, and then the roasted pork. When in a hurry, you can use one whole piece of roasted pork. Add your Swiss cheese and then a few pickle slices. Make sure to spray your sandwich press with a little butter flavored Pam, or brush some soft butter on the outside of the bread. Place the sandwich in a sandwich press and press down until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly hard to the touch. For those of you without a press, you can also place the sandwich in a hot skillet and press down on it with a heavy kitchen object. (some, believe it or not, use a brick wrapped in tin foil when nothing else is available). For years I've used a Gaunaurd sandwich maker, it has removable, easy to clean plates. Never use a panini grill, they simply don't heat sandwiches evenly and a real Cuban doesn't have lines grilled into it. When finished, slice the sandwich diagonally across the middle so that you have two triangle shaped wedges. Enjoy!
Pan Cubano (Authentic Cuban bread recipe)
Cuban bread is ideal for making Cuban sandwiches, especially Pan con Lechon(*) Fresh Cuban bread is also wonderful served with a small slab of guava paste or dollop of guava marmalade and cream cheese!
Day-old Cuban bread makes the best bread puddings I've ever tasted! Or if you have some left over bread, the next day, slice it thin, spread a bit of butter and toast it!
The distinctive taste is due to the use of a starter, which is made the day before. Also the dough is enriched with lard. You can substitute the lard with solid vegetable shortening if you prefer, but the bread acquires its' basic smoothness through the addition of the lard.
STARTER,
3/4 tsp active dry yeast(1/3 envelope),
1/3 cup warm water,
1/3 cup bread or all-purpose flour,
The day before baking; mix the starter ingredients, dissolving the yeast in the water first. You want a thick paste when you add the flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let "ripen" in refrigerator for 24 hours. Leftover starter will keep for several days in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
DOUGH,
4-1/2 tsp active dry yeast -(2 envelopes or 2 cakes of compressed yeast),
1 Tbsp sugar,
1-1/2 cups warm water,
3 to 4 Tbsp lard or solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature,
1/2 batch starter (see above recipe),
1 Tbsp salt,
4 to 5 cups bread or all-purpose flour,
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 3 tablespoons of water in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the lard, the remaining water, and the 1/2 batch of starter.
Mix well with your fingers or a wooden spoon. Stir in salt and flour, 1 cup at a time. You want to get a dough that is stiff enough to knead. You can also mix and knead in a mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a food processor fitted with the double blade, as the processor dough hook will not handle this job easily.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should be pliable and not sticky.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles its' bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch down.
To form the loaves, divide the dough in 4 pieces. Roll out each to form a 14-inch long tube, with rounded ends (sort of like a long meat loaf) Put 2 of the loaves on a baking sheet, about 6 inches apart. Cover with dampened cotton dish towels and let rise in warm, draft-free spot until double their bulk, about 1 hour. If you want to let it rise at a slower pace, you can do it in a cooler spot and even in the refrigerator, but give it 3 to 4 hours instead.
Preheat oven to 350 F
Lay a dampened piece of thick kitchen string or twine (about 1/8 " thick) all along the top length of the loaf. Bake until the breads are lightly browned on top and sound hollow when lightly tapped, about 30 minutes.
Let them cool slightly and remove the strings. They will leave a distinct little ridge on top. Transfer loaves onto a wire rack for cooling.
Cuban Roast Pork
I did marinate this for a day and a half, which I’m sure had something to do with the totally fantastic flavor!
Marinade:
2 Tbsp minced garlic,
1 tsp dried oregano,
1 tsp ground cumin,
1/4 cup rum (recipe called for dark; I only had light),
3/4 cup orange juice,
1/4 cup lime juice,
3 Tbsp olive oil,
1/2 tsp black pepper (recipe called for 1 tsp and next time I’ll do that.),1 pork roast, bone-in or boneless, 4-6 pounds (but I just did half a roast),
Mix up the marinade and marinate your roast overnight. I like to use gallon-sized bags to marinade meat like that. You can also freeze meats in the freezer bags with the marinade. Just pull the meat out of the freezer to defrost the night or two before you want to cook it. This is a great way to take advantage of some of the deals at the warehouse stores.
If you remember, pull the roast out of the fridge an hour or so before you start cooking. I forgot to do this so added a bit of time to the cooking.
Preheat the oven to 325 or 350. (The recipe calls for 325. I forgot to pull the meat out AND it was going to be a late dinner so I cooked it at 350 and it came out great.)
Put the roast on a rack in a roast pan and pour the marinade over it. Bake 1.5 to 2 hours, basting now and then. If the juices in the bottom of the pan evaporate, add a cup of water. Check with a meat thermometer and pull the roast out when it hits 150 degrees F. Cover with a foil and let it sit for 15 minutes or so, while you cook up your side dishes, set the table, etc. Carve the meat into slices.