Idea Alley

Kat offers tips for Cuban sandwich

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

This week Alley Kats get a lesson on how to make a proper Cuban sandwich from Dane Buxbaum.

Buxbaum is a Miami native who moved to Arkansas nine years ago.

"One of the first things I sought out once here in Arkansas was a good Cuban sandwich. Sadly, I have yet to discover one that comes close in authenticity. The reason being that the pork is always done all wrong and the bread is never quite right," wrote Buxbaum in an email to a colleague, who passed Buxbaum's message along to me.

"... Seems like I am seeing more and more of them being touted around town so in the interest of getting it right for you, and all of your readers here is how it's done."

Buxbaum gave me permission to share the recipe and method with Idea Alley readers.

First off you must marinate your pork (preferably a fresh skin on ham, but a shoulder will do) by injecting the meat with the holy grail of Cuban / Puerto Rican marinades -- Mojo Criollo. It is best made fresh but in the interest of ease a decent version of the stuff is available at the Kroger out west on Cantrell on their international foods shelf.

When injecting this into the meat you must first strain out the solids so the juice will pass through your injector or it will get hopelessly clogged. Inject the meat on all sides to thoroughly inundate it then wrap it in cellophane and let it sit over night in the fridge. You will need a cup or so of this in the meat. Next day, the meat should be patted dry and roasted in a regular oven to 180-190 degrees until done just like any other pork roast. All the same rules apply, let it sit for at least 20 minutes before carving and preferably to about room temperature.

Next, choose a good quality sweet boiled ham, sliced -- NOT shaved. No hickory or pepper treatments please.

Sliced Swiss cheese, and sliced kosher dill pickles complete the innards.

Finally, the bread. In Little Rock the only thing coming close to real Cuban bread are the loaves sold by Jimmy Johns sub shops. Buy a few fresh loaves for about 2 bucks each.

You will need a sandwich press, or at least a foil-wrapped brick, for both sides of the sandwich need to be toasted on a flat grill.

All the ingredients should be at room temperature before assembling your sandwich for the press.

Slice a loaf into two half loaves and then in half again lengthwise. Lightly butter both sides of the bread and assemble your ingredients as such from bottom to top:

Bread, butter, pickles, mojo pork sliced to about 1/8 -inch thick, ham, cheese, butter, bread. Press down manually and toast in the press for about 2 minutes (or about a minute per side if using a brick to flatten). Remove, slice in half again diagonally on the bias and serve immediately.

Don't be afraid to pile the meat on thick. A good Cuban sandwich in Miami has at least an inch of meat plus the cheese and pickles.

The key to making mojo, Buxbaum says, is in the proportions: use 1/2 teaspoon salt, six peppercorns and 1 cup sour orange juice per 10 cloves of garlic. Oregano is to taste.

Buxbaum notes the marinade makes the "best grilled chicken."

Mojo Criollo

1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves

1 teaspoon salt

12 black peppercorns

Oregano, to taste

1 cup sour orange juice (see note)

Mash the garlic, salt, peppercorns and oregano into a paste. Stir in sour orange juice. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using. Use immediately to season the pork or refrigerate for later use.

Note: If you can't get sour orange juice in your area, use two parts orange, one part lemon juice and one part lime juice.

Makes about 1 cup.

For chicken: Soak chicken thighs and breasts for 6 hours at room temperature immersed in the mojo, pat dry, sprinkle with adobo powder and grill until golden brown about 50 minutes in a covered 400 degree kettle skin side up, turning once to crisp the skin for about 15 minutes.

REQUEST

• Bean soup like that served at Monte Ne Inn Chicken in Rogers for A. Cantrell. If we recall correctly, the white bean soup is flavored with pork and has a smooth, creamy texture.

Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

kbrant@arkansasonline.com

Please include a daytime phone number.

Food on 04/25/2018

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