A Cuban Sandwich

Posted by Olga at recipegoldmine.com 3/27/02 7:33:25 pm

Pan Cubano
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
3 tablespoons fresh lard, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Roast Pork and Marinade
1 (1 1/4 pound) boneless pork roast or pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon paprika (preferably hot)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

Sandwich Filling
Sliced roast pork
3/4 pound thinly sliced smoked ham
3/4 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 dill pickles, sliced
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Manual Method: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Gently fold the dough in upon itself and turn it upside-down after 30 minutes; this "turn" helps eliminate some of the excess carbon dioxide and redistributes the yeast’s food, both imperative for optimum yeast growth.

Mixer Method: Combine the ingredients as directed at left, using a flat beater paddle or beaters, then switch to the dough hook(s) and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise, with a turn, as directed above.

Bread Machine Method: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for Manual or Dough, and press Start. Examine the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, and adjust its consistency with additional water or flour as needed, to produce a smooth, supple dough. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

Divide the dough into six pieces, and shape each piece into a rough log. Let the logs rest for 15 minutes, covered, then shape each piece into a smooth batard shape (a log about 8 inches long, slightly tapered at each end). Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal, and place the loaves on the baking sheet.

Let the loaves rise, covered, for 1 hour. Brush or spray them with water, and slash one long lengthwise slit down the middle of each loaf.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while the loaves are rising.

Transfer the loaves from the cornmeal-sprinkled pan to your oven stone (if you have one), or leave them on the pan and place them in the preheated oven (if baked on a sheet pan, the loaves will be slightly less puffy). Bake the bread for 16 to 18 minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack. The loaves may be made one day in advance and stored at room temperature, or several weeks in advance and frozen. Yield: 6 sandwich loaves.

Roasting The Pork: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together (all of the ingredients except the pork), and rub this mixture over all surfaces of the pork. Cover well, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

Place the pork in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish, and roast it in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 160 degrees F. Remove the pork from the oven, and cool it completely before slicing thinly.

Sandwich Assembly: Slice the Cuban loaves in half horizontally. Brush the cut surfaces of the rolls with olive oil, soft butter or the remaining pan juices. Layer the sandwiches as follows: Swiss cheese, sliced pickle, ham, sliced roast pork, then additional cheese.

Now comes the somewhat challenging part. You want to grill these sandwiches, top and bottom, while at the same time flattening them slightly. This helps meld all of the filling ingredients. Heat two large skillets, or a grill and one skillet, to medium-hot. Lightly grease the grill and/or skillets. Place the sandwiches in the greased pan(s). Top them with a piece of parchment paper, then the remaining skillet (or flat sheet pan, or other heavy, flat, non-meltable object — the point is to weigh them down). Press down firmly on the top pan, and weigh it down. A teakettle filled with water makes a good weight, as does a clean brick wrapped in aluminum foil.

Grill the sandwiches for 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat, checking often to make sure the bottoms aren’t burning (we burned our first attempts to a crisp!). Adjust the heat downward if the bottoms are becoming brown after only a couple of minutes. Turn the sandwiches over and grill for several more minutes, until they’re crisp on both sides.

Yield: 6 sandwiches, 12 servings.

Hearts of Palm in Tomato Sauce (Palmito Guisado)

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 ounces fully cooked smoked ham, coarsely chopped (2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 (14 ounce) cans hearts of palm, rinsed drained and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir onion, garlic, jalapeño peppers and ham in oil in skillet over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, vinegar and pepper; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in hearts of palm. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until hearts of palm are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yields 6 servings.

Baked Stuffed Papayas (Jamaica)

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (12 ounce) papayas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir beef, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until beef is light brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, salt and pepper; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Cut papayas lengthwise into halves; remove seeds. Place about 1/3 cup beef mixture in each papaya half; sprinkle with cheese. Arrange in shallow roasting pan. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1 inch of tops of papaya halves. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until papayas are very tender and hot, about 30 minutes.

Cuban Bread (Pan Cubano)

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour
Vegetable oil (for greasing)

Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup of the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup water, the olive oil and salt. Slowly add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix to make a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 4 minutes, or until the dough is satiny and elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and shape it into a 12-inch long oblong loaf. Place the loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet (or one dusted with cornmeal), cover it with a towel, and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.

Brush loaf lightly with warm water. Bake it on the baking sheet in a preheated 400 degrees F oven until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped, about 35 minutes. Remove the bread and cool it on a wire rack before serving.

Makes 1 large loaf.

baked kidney beans and rice

1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked regular rice
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
4 ounces fully cooked smoked ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups boiling water

Cook and stir onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until tender. Mix onion mixture and remaining ingredients in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 55 minutes. Stir before serving.

Yields 5 to 6 servings.

Sweet Potato "Bread" (Pain Patate — Haiti)

This is not a bread although baked in a loaf pan. It is a marvelous dessert.

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 medium eggs, beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup seedless golden raisins

Coarsely mash together sweet potatoes and bananas with a potato masher in a large mixing bowl; blend with an electric mixer until smooth.

Beat butter and eggs into the sweet potato-banana paste with a wire whisk to combine. Add sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; whisk until well blended. Next whisk in the milk until it is incorporated. Stir in the raisins. Pour the batter into a 2-quart loaf pan and bake it in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until the center is firm and the top is golden brown, about 55 minutes.

Remove the "bread" from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a plate. Serve generous slices of Pain Patate warm or chilled, with whipped cream or a little rum poured over the top, or plain.

Serves 6 or 8.

Haitian Bread (Pain Haïtien)

2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 155 degrees F)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freeze-dried instant coffee
2 tablespoons milk

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in honey, oil, salt, nutmeg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until very smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 50 minutes. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch dough down. Press into greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan. Cut dough into about 2 1/2-inch squares with sharp knife, cutting two-thirds of the way through dough. Cover; let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dissolve instant coffee in milk; brush over dough. Bake until bread is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Break bread into squares to serve.

Makes 24 squares.

Tropical Fruit with Chocolate Sauce (Curaçao)

Chocolate Sauce
3 to 4 cups assorted fresh tropical
    fruit: banana, pineapple, strawberries,
    carambola, papaya, mango
2 to 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or rum

Prepare Chocolate Sauce. Toss fruit and liqueur or rum. Cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice, at least 1 hour. Spoon fruit into dessert dishes; drizzle with Chocolate Sauce.

Chocolate Sauce
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur or rum

Heat chocolate, milk and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let stand 1 hour.

Cover and refrigerate any remaining sauce.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Puerto Rican Egg Nog (Coquito)

Posted by Darlene at recipegoldmine.com 12/18/2001 7:07 am

Yield: 16 Servings

2 cups water
8 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
6 large egg yolks
3 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
2 cans coconut milk
3 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cups white rum (a touch less if you use 151 proof!! Burp!!)

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat water and cinnamon sticks to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid is reduced to one cup. Remove cinnamon sticks and set liquid aside to cool to room temperature.

In a 3 quart saucepan with a wire whisk, beat egg yolks and evaporated milk until well-mixed. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats a spoon - about 10 minutes (DO NOT BOIL). Set aside to cool slightly.

When cinnamon flavored liquid has cooled, stir in coconut milk, until well mixed. In serving bowl, combine coconut mixture, yolk mixture, sweetened condensed milk and rum. Chill well and serve.

Coconut Eggnog (Coquito — Puerto Rico)

3 cups packaged unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup hot water
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Puerto Rican white rum
2 large egg yolks
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg

Combine coconut and hot water in a large pitcher, and let the coconut steep for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a blender. Put the coconut pulp in a cheesecloth and squeeze it to extract as much coconut milk as possible, then add the extracted milk to the coconut milk in the blender. Discard the coconut pulp.

Add condensed milk, rum and egg yolks to the coconut milk in the blender, and process until the Coquito is well blended. Transfer the beverage to the pitcher, cover, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.

Remove the Coquito from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. When ready, stir it thoroughly and pour the Coquito into short glasses and add a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Serves 8.