The Ultimate Cuban Sandwich
I love pulled pork, trying new things, and doing them the hard way. This is the result and I wanted to share; it is a spin off of Serious Eat's Cuban Mojo Roast by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Other recipes have been cited where appropriate. Be aware that I have modified them slightly where I saw fit.
Notes: I wasn't overly impressed by the bread and would replace it with brioche. Likewise the pork roast on its own could use a bump in citrus and less garlic; tossed with the mojo sauce it is beautiful though. If I could I would either do the pork butt in a smoker or as an underground/charcoal pit roast.
2 (10-inch) sections Cuban bread
- 17 ounces Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 ounce sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 ounces duck lard
- 10 ounces lukewarm water
- Gently stir lukewarm water into yeast to proof. Sift together remaining dry ingredients separately.
- Mix, then knead together all of the dough ingredients — by hand, or using a stand mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, supple dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise until it's puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk — about 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Gently fold the dough in upon itself and turn it upside-down after 30 minutes; this "turn" helps eliminate some of the excess carbon dioxide and redistributes the yeast's food, both imperative for optimum yeast growth.
- Deflate the dough, and divide it into six pieces. Shape each piece into a rough log. Let the logs rest for 15 minutes, covered, then shape each piece into a smooth roll about 8" long, slightly tapered at each end. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
- Let the rolls rise, covered, for 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush or spray the rolls with water, and slash one long lengthwise slit down the middle of each. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven, and cool on a rack. The rolls may be made one day in advance and stored at room temperature, or several weeks in advance and frozen.
6 ounces Swiss cheese
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese
- 2 ounces Emmentaler Switzerland cheese
- 1 ounce Raclette cheese
- Use only fresh, quality, whole cheese.
6 ounces thinly sliced dill pickles
- 6 to 8 wide mouth 16 oz. canning jars
- 4 to 6 pounds of pickling cucumbers
- 1 1/2 pounds of a mixture of white onions and sweet (vidalia) onions
- 1/3 cup sea salt
- Ice cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups unbleached whole cane sugar
- 3 cups unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- Wash and dry canning jars.
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Place jars on a baking sheet and bake in oven for at least 20 minutes to sterilize.
- Fill a small saucepan with water and add jar lids and rings. Place on the stovetop over low to medium heat and bring water to 180 degrees. A candy thermometer works best to watch the temperature.
- Wash cucumbers and slice into 1/4"-thick slices, using a food processor. Note that you may have to slice by hand if the cucumbers are curved or do not fit through the feed tube.
- Remove skin from onions and slice into 1/8"-thick slices.
- In a large mixing bowl, layer cucumber and onion slices, generously sprinkling each layer with salt.
- Cover layered mixture with ice cubes and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
- In the meantime, fill the water bath pot and bring to a boil.
- Remove ice from the bowl of layered cucumbers and onions, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
- In a stock pot, combine mustard seed, celery seed, ginger, turmeric, pepper, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a light boil.
- Add cucumbers and onions and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove jars from the oven and set on a towel. Ladle the pickle mixture into the jars, leaving a 1/4" space at the top.
- Slide a knife or flat spatula around the edges of the filled jars to remove air bubbles.
- Using a damp washcloth, thoroughly wipe the tops of the jars clean (this helps the lids seal.)
- Using a magnetic lid lifter, lift lids and rings one by one out of the saucepan of water. Set lids on top of jars and finger-tighten rings (do not over-tighten or lids will not seal properly.)
- Add jars to the water bath rack and lower into the boiling water. There should be about 1" of water covering the jars. If there is too much, remove some with a ladle. Cover with lid.
- Process for 10 minutes, then lift jars out using tongs. Set them on a clean towel to cool. Lids will be slightly concave (curving down in the center) when they are sealed.
- For best flavor, store jars in a cool, dark spot for 4 to 6 weeks before opening.
4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup brown mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pickle juice, as needed
- Place mustard seeds and vinegar in a small bowl or container, cover, and let soak at room temperature for 1 day.
- Transfer mustard seeds and liquid to jar of a blender. Add in salt, turmeric, allspice, paprika, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Puree until smooth, adding 2 tablespoons of pickle juice at time to thin consistency as needed.
- Transfer to an airtight container and let rest in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before use.
6 ounces Cuban-style roast pork
For the Mojo:
- 8 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons (8g) ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons (8g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (about 1 small handful) minced fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh juice from 1 to 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh juice from 3 to 4 limes
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
For the Pork:
- 1 (6- to 8-pound; 3 to 3.5kg) boneless pork shoulder roast, rind removed
- 1/4 cup (about 1 small handful) finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons (about 3 very large pinches) finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
For the Mojo:
- Combine garlic, cumin, pepper, oregano, orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk. Season to taste generously with salt.
- Transfer half of mojo to a sealed container and reserve in the refrigerator. Add pork to remaining mojo and turn to coat.
- Transfer pork and marinade to a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and refrigerate overnight before continuing.
For the Pork:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 275°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place pork and juices on top and fold up foil, crimping to seal loosely but making sure that there is room for air to circulate inside. Place in oven and roast for 3 hours.
- Fold back foil, increase oven temperature to 325°F, and continue roasting, basting pork with pan juices occasionally, until pork shows almost no resistance when a metal skewer or knife is inserted into it and the surface is crackly and brown, 2 to 3 hours longer.
- Remove pork from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Use two large forks to pull apart and shred pork.
- Deglaze roasting pan and pour accumulated pork juices into a bowl and discard all except 1 cup. Add reserved mojo to pork drippings, along with fresh chopped mint and oregano. Whisk together and season to taste with salt.
- Toss shredded pork in mojo to coat. Very lightly spritz with freshly squeezed lime juice.
2 tablespoons compound duck butter
- 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 pound duck lard, softened
- 3 teaspoons homemade spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 ounce capers, rinsed
- 2 ounces shallots
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 sauteed chicken livers
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 1 tablespoon madeira
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne powder
- juice of one lemon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/4 Orange
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and duck lard by hand or use an electric mixer set to slow speed, until it has a slightly creamy texture.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add this mixture to the butter and beat again until all the ingredients are completely combined. A food processor, blender, or emulsifier helps greatly.
- Wrap butter tightly and refrigerate overnight before using. Butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for several months.
8 ounces sliced honey ham
4 ounces sliced Genoa salami
- Preheat a panini press or a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Lay bread, open side up, on a work surface. Evenly coat the outside of each slice with softened compound duck butter and the insides with mustard. Layer bottom and top halves with Swiss cheese. Working only on bottom halves, layer on all of the pickles, ham, roast pork, and salami. Close sandwiches, pressing gently.
- Butter top and bottom of panini press and press sandwiches with moderate pressure until crisp on both sides, about 8 minutes. If using a cast iron skillet or griddle, melt half of butter in pan and add sandwiches. Use a second pan to press on them as the first side crisps. When crisp, flip sandwiches, add remaining butter, swirl to coat, and continue cooking while pressing until crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Slice sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.
Submitted January 16, 2017 at 07:32PM by LSatyreD http://ift.tt/2jWNQuk Cooking
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