A new relationship is forming between the US and Cuba, and I
couldn’t be more excited! This is a culture that is vibrant and passionate.
They love their food and they love each other, and I think we, as Americans,
could learn a thing or two from them! One of my favorite Cuban inspired foods
is the Cuban sandwich! It is full of flavor and you can taste the love in every
bite, if it’s made right.
A Cubano is a hot pressed sandwich consisting of ham, pulled
pork, pickles, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard. It brings influence not only
from Cuba, but also Italy and Spain. This sandwich is often baked, but to be
authentic, it must be pressed on a panini press. Since I’m a “NoPro” I will be
using my George Foreman grill as a panini press.
Now, I’m not going to lie and say that this is a simple
sandwich that you can make really quick before work. It takes time and attention
to detail to make it truly great. On average, it takes me anywhere from an hour
to an hour and a half to make the sandwich, but it is more than worth it!!! In my
exploration of a healthier lifestyle, this is one dish that I intend to carry
over. So, with health in mind, I edited the traditional recipe slightly with
much success!
The biggest change to help this sandwich go from fat
saturated heaven to simply heaven is replacing the butter and heavy oils with a
healthier choice. I decided to try coconut oil and was pleasantly surprised! I used
coconut oil in everything from the marinade for the meat, to the wash on top,
and even for the fries on the side!
Another healthy substitute is using shredded turkey instead
of pork. Traditional Cuban sandwiches use ham and pulled pork, both fatty
meats. Turkey is a lean meat that can absorb the flavor of the marinade just as
well as the pulled pork.
Also, in the Cuban vinaigrette I use coconut oil rather than
a heavy olive oil. To make the vinaigrette, mix together ½ a cup of white vinegar,
1.5 cups of coconut oil (liquid), 2 tablespoons of sea salt, 4 cloves of finely
minced, or pressed, garlic, ½ a teaspoon of dried mustard, 1 teaspoon of dried
oregano, and crushed black pepper to taste. The easiest way to mix this
together is to put all the ingredients in a container that can tightly seal and
then shake vigorously. This can be prepared ahead of time and actually makes a
great salad dressing as well!
Once the vinaigrette is well mixed, add about 2-3
tablespoons to a ½ pound of shredded turkey. Toss the meat to ensure even
coverage and let the meat sit for at least an hour. Once your meat is soaking
up all the amazing flavor, go ahead and turn on your pressing device. You want
to make sure this has a good chance to get very hot!
While the meat is soaking and the press is heating, you can
start preparing to build the sandwich. Now, the only substitute I refuse to make
is with the bread. The foundation of the sandwich is the light Cuban bread.
This bread may not be the healthiest option, due to lard being included in the
ingredient list, but for a Cuban sandwich, I feel that it is irreplaceable. If you
must change it out, you can use a whole grain baguette style bread or even an unleavened
pita style of bread.
With one loaf of Cuban bread, I usually get three to four
sandwiches out of it. Its built, however, as one large sandwich. Starting with
the loaf, sliced down the middle, put a thin layer of mayonnaise on the bottom
piece. I know what you’re thinking, “mayonnaise is not healthy at all!” but I made
my own, and when you control the ingredients, you can make anything healthy. My
mayonnaise recipe will be posted at a later date.
On top of the mayonnaise, place an overlapping layer of
Swiss cheese, lay one slice and lay the next slice starting in the middle of
the previous slice, about 4-5 slices. The next layer is the ham. I do replace
the traditional ham with a low-fat ham, because all the extra fat just isn’t
needed. Place a single layer of ham over the cheese. Once your turkey has finished
soaking up all the flavor, place that on top of the ham down the middle of the
sandwich. The next layer is the pickle. It is very important to use a dill
pickle here to ensure the proper taste combination. You want the pickles to
almost completely cover the turkey. Atop the pickle layer, the final layer is a
drizzle of Dijon mustard. The amount of mustard is purely based on taste. If you
like mustard, load it on, or you can go lighter.
Once the mustard is on, top the sandwich off with the top of
the loaf. At this point, you can cut the sandwich into smaller sandwiches, 3-4
from a standard Cuban loaf. For grilling a Cuban, you are supposed to put a
generous layer of butter on the top of the bread to give it a golden, crispy
crust. Butter isn’t that great for you though, in case you hadn’t heard. Coconut
oil, however, is a great substitute! Brush liquid coconut oil on the top of the
bread and prepare to press.
At this point, your
press, or George Forman grill, should have been heating, closed, for about 30
minutes, if not just wait and get it very hot. Once the press is super-hot,
place the sandwich on and press down to “flatten” the sandwich. The sandwich
will not actually flatten due to the shear amount of stuff in it, but you want
to pretend that’s what you are doing to it. Let the sandwich cook on the press
for about 7-10 minutes, or just until the cheese starts to ooze out. It is
imperative not to lift the press while the sandwich is cooking, you want an
even crisp crust and constant heat is needed. Once the sandwich is done simply
slide it off the press and serve on a plate, in a basket, or wrapped in deli
paper. Make sure the sandwich is served hot!
I made a healthy French fry side dish to go with my
sandwich, and that recipe will be coming soon! It truly is amazing what you can
do with coconut oil!!!
If this is your first experience with Cuban culture, I truly
hope that you will do some research into the benefits of a Cuban-American
alliance and urge your federal representatives to pursue a healthy diplomatic relationship
with our neighbors in the Caribbean!
What you’ll need:
Sandwich:
1-pound low fat ham, deli sliced
1-pound turkey, deli sliced or pulled (marinated in Cuban vinaigrette)
1 loaf of Cuban bread
1 jar of dill pickles, sandwich stacker slices
4-5 slices of Swiss cheese
Dijon mustard
Homemade mayonnaise
4-5 tablespoons of coconut oil (liquid)
Cuban vinaigrette marinade:
1.5 cups of coconut oil (liquid)
½ cup of white vinegar
4 garlic cloves
Sea salt
Black pepper
Dried mustard
Dried oregano
Serving of 3-4 takes
about 1-1.5 hours and about $40
-NoPro
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