Easy Latin Recipes for Summer

My mid-afternoon snack or lunch choice is the almighty Cuban sandwich. I made this last week especially for you Latina readers and talked about it on my blog, but I left the recipe out just so you could see it here first! This sandwich is big, I’ll be honest, but for party purposes, mini ones are perfect. Just cut them up into 4 or 6 smaller pieces. It’s juicy, meaty, flavorful and easy to make. It’s all about stacking and having the right seasoned cerdo and ham.

The Almighty Cubano

Ingredients:

• 8" Cuban bread
• 1.5 tbsp. mustard
• 5 oz. smoked or roasted pork
• 3 oz. sweet cured ham ( Black Forest is a good option)
• 4 slices of sandwich pickles
• 3-4 thin slices Swiss cheese
• Butter for spreading outside of bread and grill pan

Method:

Using a bread knife, cut Cuban bread in half. Spread mustard on each side of bread. Start stacking. Add cheese and 2 pickles on each side.  Add pork on one side and top with ham. Place other half of bread on top of stacked side. Using a stove-top grill pan (unless you have a plancha), butter the grill pan and both sides of the sandwich using a pastry brush. Turn heat to medium. Use another heavy kitchen utensil (a foil-wrapped brick is a great option), press down on sandwich, and cook sandwich one each side for 5-6 minutes, allowing the flavors from the cheese, pork and ham to infuse and for the sandwich to flatten down ¾ from its original size.

Cut sandwich diagonally. Serves 1 or 2.