Cuban Sandwiches

Happy almost summer weather! I’ve got a perfect summer picnic recipe for you just in time.

But first! An exciting announcement. I have officially opened up an online store where you can buy my food and travel prints for yourself with the option of paper prints, framed prints, or canvas. I’ve been doing a lot of stalling in setting this up but am so glad it’s finally finished. But onto the subject at hand, Cuban sandwiches.

With the shift to warmer weather I always start craving sandwiches. It’s something that doesn’t take too long to assemble, something packable that can be shared with lots of people. I dunno, sandwiches just sort of feel like summer. They must have been on my mind yesterday when I decided that I wanted to make my own baguettes for Cuban sandwiches. I found Jim Lahey’s recipe for his Stecca (like an Italian style baguette) and decided to put the dough together after my day’s activities so it could slow-rise overnight.

Well I went about my day, running 7 miles, brunching hard in Georgetown, followed by more drinks by the water and ending with an impromptu pirate booze cruise where we drank champagne straight from the bottle like the tyrants that we are. Yet my craving for baguette sandwiches must have been so strong that I got home and drunkenly assembled bread dough like a champ. I didn’t even spill flour anywhere

So today, hangover not nearly as bad as I would have thought, I set about roasting my own citrus and garlic stuffed pork loin, baking bread, and assembling some pretty bomb sandwiches. They need no introduction or explanation but I will say that with a bit of extra effort, the Cuban can really elevate from one level to the next. This double pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickle concoction, pressed between two halves of chewy bread gets a little extra kick from the citrus and garlic added to the roasted pork. And the slow-rising process of making the bread created the slight tang you usually see in sourdough, which actually contrasted the sweetness of the pork really well. It was the exact thing that a beginning-of-summer sort of day called for. Of course, a store-bought baguette and some standard deli ham would have been just fine but per usual, not everything can be quite that simple for me, can it?

Cuban Sandwiches

Makes enough for 6-8

Adapted from Jim Lahey’s My Bread

For the Stecca

3 cups bread flour

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. dry active or instant yeast

1½ cups cool water

olive oil

For the Pork

1 3lb. pork loin roast

the zest from 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

For each individual Cuban Sandwich

1 stecca, split lengthwise

Mayonnaise

Spicy brown mustard

4 slices of the Pork roast

3 pieces of prosciutto

2 slices of Swiss cheese

4 sandwich pickles

Begin by making your bread. The night before you want to make your sandwiches, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a bowl and stir. Add the water and mix with your hand until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for 12-18 hours.

When this is complete, liberally dust a counter with flour and scrape the dough onto the flour. With floured hands, fold the dough over itself a couple times and create a round sort of shape. Transfer to a well-floured kitchen towel, seam side down. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fold the ends of the towel over it and let rise for another 1-2 hours.

30 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500 degrees and prepare a sheet pan by brushing it with olive oil. When the dough is ready, cut into quarters. Gently stretch each piece into a long stick-like shape almost as wide as the pan. Place all 4 on the pan and brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting open.

Prepare the pork roast (I did this before baking my bread). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the lemon zest, garlic, 1 tsp. of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Butterfly the pork loin by using a sharp knife to cut about ¾ of the way through and then laying it flat. Spread the lemon zest mixture over the pork.  Roll up the pork loin back into a log shape and secure with kitchen twine.

Rub the outside of the pork with oil and sprinkle with the other tsp. of salt on it. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the roast to a cutting board to rest for 25 minutes. Slice into thin pieces for the sandwich.

Finally prepare the sandwich. Cut one of the stecca in half lengthwise. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides and the spicy brown mustard on one side. Layer on the pork, prosciutto, cheese, and pickles and top with the other half of the baguette.