• Submitted by: manso
• Editorial Articles
• 04 / 26 / 2011

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 Chef Aaron talks about his magical first experience with the pork sandwich.First time experiences should be magical! I clearly remember the first time I had foie gras, steamed mussels, cow’s tongue, sweet breads, black truffles and so much more.

Almost all of my first-time food memories came during my education at Le Cordon Bleu. These memories are so vivid in my mind because this was the period in my life when I was falling deeply in love…with food! Every taste, scent and texture is imprinted in my mind just as most couples remember the first time they met, their first date and first kiss.

The first time I ever had a Cuban sandwich was at the Monte Carlo hotel in Las Vegas. This was just after the Millennium and before my love affair with food had begun.

I was with a few friends on a bright, sun-splashed Las Vegas day. We were exploring the famous strip of Las Vegas when hunger hit. We stopped at this little brewpub in the hotel and the waiter recommended the Cuban. It sounded amazing and at first bite, I wasn’t disappointed.

Since then, I have had a few run ins with the Cuban sandwich but it never seems to replicate that magical first time experience.

This past Tuesday, I was at a particular Algonquin chain restaurant known for its breads and sandwiches. Its menu featured a few new items including the Cuban.

“Look little chef, they have a Cuban!”

We placed our order and hurried to our booth. When my sandwich arrived I immediately took my first bite with the anticipation of being instantly swept back to the brewpub in Vegas.

“How is it, Chef?”

Disappointed, I looked down at the sandwich, peered out the window to see a cold, windy, cloudy and rainy day.

“This isn’t it,” I said to her, “this isn’t it.”

It was at this moment that I decided that I would begin my quest to replicate the sandwich that no one else seems to be able to do.

The Cuban sandwich

There are six components to the perfect Cuban sandwich. The first two are pork products. (I must admit that I’m not well versed in the history of Cuba. I know that in the 1960s America had a Missile Crisis with the Cubans and a little issue involving a Bay of Pigs. I have a strong inclination that this has nothing to do with the ham steak and shredded pork that I’m thinking of.) Let’s continue.

16- oz. Ham steak, already packaged and cooked is perfect. If you’re thinking of leftovers from Sunday’s Easter feast, the leftover spiral ham bits will do just fine! Stay away from thinly sliced deli ham as this is the common mistake that most sandwich places make!

5- pounds of raw pork shoulder, often known as the Boston Butt. You can find this at any reputable meat retailer. It’s the same part of the pig that is used to make pulled pork sandwiches.

Simply coat the raw pork shoulder in a rub consisting of minced fresh garlic, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Place the rubbed chunk of pork heavenliness in a roasting pan and insert uncovered in the oven at 450 degrees.

After a half-hour, reduce the heat of the oven to 225 degrees and let the shoulder roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees. At this point remove the shoulder from the oven and let cool.

I know it’s tempting to begin pulling away shreds of pork to taste, but remember it’s extremely hot. Let it cool first. If you feel like scorching your taste buds be my guest, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you!

When properly cooled, use two forks or your hands to pull apart the cooked pork shoulder. You could also throw the raw shoulder in a crock-pot with some water and cook it that way, but I think the roasting process produces much more flavor. Just my opinion!

The bread. I looked online to find the traditional bread used for the Cuban sandwich and where to find it locally. Unfortunately, there aren’t any bread makers in the area that specialize in this type of bread. I did find a Miami restaurant that is well known for their Cuban sandwich and they suggested using the day old bread from Jimmy John’s. Perfect, right? I purchased two loaves to make four sandwiches.

The fourth component is mustard. I used Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard and suggest you do this as well. Grain, Creole and regular mustard can be used but they just aren’t the same. Stay with the classic.

The fifth component is some type of Swiss cheese. In this recipe, and in most recipes requiring a Swiss cheese, I always choose Fontina cheese. The sweetness and nuttiness are perfect for this application.

The sixth and final component is the pickle. Once again stay with the classics. Use a simple dill, sandwich style, crinkle-cut pickle and you will be satisfied!

To assemble. Cut the bread from head to toe and open it like a book. Using a butter knife or spoon, spread a liberal amount of the mustard on the bottom portion of the bread.

Next, cover the entire Dijon mustard spread with a generous amount of pickles. After the pickles go down, it’s time for the ham steak.

Shingle the sliced ham steak on top of the pickles covering every last portion of the sandwich. On top of the ham steak goes the shredded pork.

Next cover the shredded pork with slices of the Fontina cheese.

Lastly, place the top of the bread on top of your mountain of Cuban happiness.

To Cook. If you have a panini press go ahead and use it. I know it’s not traditional, but the idea here is to smash the top of the bread on the sandwich. The desired outcome is a warm, flat pressed sandwich.

If you don’t have a panini press, and I don’t, listen closely. You can wrap a heavy brick in aluminum foil, place it on top of the assembled sandwich on a sheet pan and insert in an oven set at 350 degrees.

If you don’t have a heavy brick, and I didn’t, use a heavy sauté pan. Place the sauté pan on top of the sandwich on a sheet pan and insert in the oven. Once again, the idea here is to flatten the sandwich and bake in the oven until the cheese has successfully melted. As my chefs at Le Cordon Bleu always used to say, “There’s a million ways to Mecca, I don’t care which route you take, just get there!”

When the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich from the oven, slice it in two and enjoy.

Buen Provecho!

Source: http://algonquin.patch.com/articles/love-at-first-bite-the-cuban-sandwich