This hockey season is coming to an end, boy that went quick. Billy’s been in New York this past week, on the last road trip of the year for the
Panthers.
Billy called me on Wednesday night, telling me he did something, and that he
was not proud of it.
Well we are both pretty silly (which is why we are perfect
for each other)and do plenty of embarrassing things; so I thought he had just embarrassed
himself. That wasn’t it though.
No he and his broadcast partner, Goldie and the production
crew went to the Carnegie Deli where a “Man vs. Food Challenge” took place. Billy and Goldie each, set about to eat a
sandwich that held five pounds of meat!
Not only did they attempt the challenge, but it was filmed to be aired
during the intermission of the Panther’s game.
Well Goldie (who always says that he can out eat Billy) got half of the
sandwich down. Billy finished the whole
dang sandwich in about 30 minutes! It
wasn’t a pretty picture, but he got a free sandwich out of the deal! He wasn’t feeling so good after the fact
however.
I’m so proud!
So about this Cuban sandwich, it’s nowhere near five pounds,
but it is pretty big. It’s really not
about the size however, but about the ingredients. A traditional Cuban sandwich is Cuban bread
filled with sweet ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and mustard; that’s
pressed and grilled like a Panini.
I didn’t mess with tradition too much but I did make a couple
of subtle changes. I use two cheeses;
Swiss has a slightly nutty flavor, and Havarti which is creamy and tangy. I also made a Wasabi Mayonnaise to replace
the mustard, just to cut the richness of the cheese and roast pork and to give
it a little more oomph!
I made this Cuban sandwich for Billy to take to work last
week, and it received rave reviews from the press box!
I had some leftover roast pork that I sliced thin, and heated up in the leftover gravy. You may also use pork tenderloin, or sliced roast pork from the deli counter. |
The pungency of the wasabi differs so start by mixing about half of the wasabi paste in to the mayonnaise. Give it a taste and add more if you like. |
Lay the meat and the pickles over the cheese. |
And put a lid on it! The sandwich that is. |
Cut the sandwich into 3 or four. Brush a little oil on the outside of the bread so that it gets toasty. |
Toasty, melty, sweet, savory, sour, spicy...and oh so satisfying! |
CUBAN SANDWICH
(Grilled roast pork, ham & cheese)
Serves 3 to 4
1 loaf Cuban
or French bread, (mine was about 5 inches wide and 22 inches long)
Wasabi mayonnaise, recipe
follows
6 deli
slices Havarti cheese
6 deli
slices Swiss cheese
6 deli
slices Ham, about 6 ounces
8 oz. Roast pork, thinly
sliced
6 slices Dill pickles, I used the
sandwich stackers
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1.
Slice the bread in half lengthwise.
2.
Spread a thin layer of the Wasabi mayonnaise on
both sides of the sandwich.
3.
Lay the ingredients on the sandwich so that there’s
a layer of cheese on the top, a layer of cheese on the bottom, and the meat and
pickles are in the middle. If the cheese
is in the middle of the sandwich, it won’t melt well; also the melted cheese is
what holds everything together.
4.
Brush a light coat of olive oil on the outside
of the bread, top and bottom (this helps to toast the bread.
5.
Cut the sandwich into 3 or 4 pieces.
6.
If you have a Panini press, go ahead and grill
the sandwich in that.
7.
If you don’t have a Panini press; heat a skillet
or griddle over medium heat.
8.
Lay one of the sandwiches on the hot pan. Weigh the sandwich down by placing on top of
it; a cast iron bacon press, or another skillet, or a brick that has been
wrapped with aluminum foil.
9.
When the underside is toasted, remove the
weight, and turn the sandwich over, replace the weight. Cook until that side is toasted and the
cheese has melted.
10.
Place the grilled sandwich into a warm oven
while you grill the remaining sandwiches.
Notes: *For the roast
pork, you may use leftover roast pork, pork tenderloin, or roast pork from
the deli counter.
**Mustard
may be substituted for the Wasabi Mayonnaise.
WASABI MAYONNAISE
1 Tbsp. Wasabi powder
1 Tbsp. Water
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1.
In a small bowl, stir together the wasabi powder
and water to make a paste.
2.
Add the mayonnaise to another small bowl. Stir a little of the wasabi paste into the
mayonnaise at a time until it tastes the way you like it.
3.
Allow the flavors of the Wasabi Mayonnaise to
meld for at least 15 minutes.
I'm all about the melty cheese! Actually its really the only way I like to eat cheese. (My hubby thinks I'm absolutely nuts).
ReplyDeleteWow. That's looks amazing, I'm craving that right now
ReplyDelete