---------------------------------------------------------------- From: Latino Spice Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes Subject: Cuban Sandwich Followup-To: rec.food.recipes Date: 21 Sep 1998 05:14:00 -0600 Organization: USTEECO,Inc d/b/a Latino Spice Connection Reply-To: usteeco@gte.net NNTP-Posting-Host: boofura.swcp.com Cuban Sandwich from Tampa, Florid I have lived here since '57 and my mother grew up here and we know the Cuban Sandwich very well...In a traditional Cuban there is NO tomato! NO mayonnaise! NO bell pepper!! NO onion! NO lettuce (shredded or otherwise)! On a traditional Cuban there are three or four pickle slices and several pieces of thinly sliced Swiss cheese. I will confess to you that I have been known to put a very few, paper-thin slices of onion onto Cuban sandwiches that I prepare at home, as it does something flavorwise to the sandwich ...I forgot! that there is roast pork in this sandwich, too. Often the restaurant will post on the menu 'special cuban' and they will slice roast pork off the still warm roast and put it into the sandwich. The regular version has roast pork, but it's from a cold roast out of the cooler. In either one of these two forms the roast pork is an obligatory ingredient to be authentic. ......there is no shortcut to a good Cuban sandwich made on fresh, crusty, Cuban bread. Cuban Sandwich A tradition in Tampa, Florida 3 thin slices (almost shaved) of boiled ham 3 thin slices of turkey (optional) 3 thin slices roast pork hot or cold 3 thin slices of salami 3 thin slices of Swiss cheese 3 or 4 slices of pickles 1/3 cut Cuban bread hard crust Additional optional ingredients (remember this will make it untraditional put still tasty) 3 thin slices of tomato 4 thin slices of green bell pepper 3 thin slices onion 1/3 cut French or Cuban bread 1 leaf romaine lettuce Mayonnaise, Mustard to taste It is important that the sandwich be prepared on Cuban bread (hard crust). You can substitute an 8" sub, grinder or hoagie bread. (Slice the bread open face and spread mustard first then mayonnaise remember this is not traditional, but still good). Add the ham (roast pork), turkey, salami. (Then add the tomato, pepper, onion and lettuce remember this is not 'traditional,' but still good). Then top your sandwich and press. Press the sandwich on a hot skillet. If you have a sandwich press, use it to heat and press your Cuban. These are sold (made with variations of this recipe) in almost every Deli or Restaurant in Tampa, Florida. These are good cold, too. For more Recipes & Exotic Spices see http://www.usteeco.com Latino Spice Connection -- ~~Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please read the FAQ posted on Mondays. Recipes/requests go to recipes@rt66.com; questions/comments to tfdpress@acpub.duke.edu. Please allow several days for your submission to appear.