Cuban Steak Sandwiches Recipes

Steps:

• Pound steaks to 1/8-inch thickness; place in shallow dish. Mix 2 Tbsp. dressing, lemon juice and garlic until blended; pour over steaks. Turn to evenly coat both sides of steaks. Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.
• Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the remaining dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 steaks; cook 2-1/2 min. on each side or until done. Remove steaks from skillet; place on bottom halves of 2 rolls. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dressing, steaks and rolls.
• Add onions to skillet; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley; spoon over steaks. Cover with top halves of rolls; brush both sides of sandwiches with butter.
• Heat 2 large skillets on medium-high heat. Place sandwiches in 1 skillet. (If all 4 sandwiches do not fit in the skillet, cook sandwiches in batches.) Place second heated skillet on top of sandwiches; gently press down on top skillet to flatten sandwiches slightly. Cook 4 to 5 min. on each side or until both sides of sandwiches are crisp and golden brown.

Steps:

• Toss the steaks with 1 tablespoon olive oil and all but 1/2 teaspoon garlic in a large bowl; season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Let sit at room temperature at least 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the onion with the vinegar and a few pinches of salt in a medium bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, hot sauce, remaining garlic and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the rolls and place a heavy skillet on top of them; cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Wipe out the skillet and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 steaks and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side; remove to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining steaks.
• Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the rolls. Place some potato sticks on the bottom halves, then top with the steak, cutting as needed to fit. Top with the tomatoes, a pinch of salt, the marinated onion, more potato sticks and the roll tops. Gently press down on the sandwiches. Serve with coleslaw.

Steps:

• Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.
• Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
• Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
• To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
• To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.

Steps:

• For the mojo marinade: Trim the pork shoulder, removing any excess fat, and tie. Make the mojo marinade by combining the citrus juices and zest, oregano, cilantro, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the garlic and the cumin in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Place the tied roast into a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature. Once marinated, remove from the bag and wipe away any excess liquid. Reserve the marinade.
• For the pork roast: Preheat a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil to the pressure cooker pot and turn to high heat. Sear the roast on all sides. Then add the chicken stock, bay leaves, onions and the reserved marinade. Replace the lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the roast is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the roast, transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Slice thinly.
• For the Cuban sandwiches: Using a serrated knife, halve the Cuban loaves. Begin building the sandwiches. First, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto the bread. Add 5 pickle slices, about 3 ounces of ham and a few slices of roasted pork. Top with 2 slices of the cheese. Finish with the top half of the Cuban loaf. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
• To serve: Heat a flat-top griddle pan to medium heat with the olive oil. Place the sandwiches on to the griddle pan and place a weighted cast-iron pan on top to press. Press the sandwiches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cut in half. Secure with bamboo skewers and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, ground chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic basil spread, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir onions, red pepper flakes, and oregano in the hot oil until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Add half the jalapeno pepper rings and cook until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve remaining jalapeno rings.
• Spread each ciabatta roll with 1 tablespoon sweet hot mustard and 2 tablespoons chipotle mayonnaise. Evenly divide the Swiss cheese slices, slices of pork loin, ham, dill pickles, and remaining jalapeno rings among the four sandwiches. Top with cooked onion mixture.
• Place sandwiches onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bread is toasted and warm, 4 to 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Split the sandwich rolls in half, and spread mustard and mayonnaise liberally onto the cut sides. On each sandwich, place and equal amount of Swiss cheese, ham and pork in exactly that order. Place a few pickles onto each one, and put the top of the roll onto the sandwich. Brush the tops with melted butter.
• Press each sandwich in a sandwich press heated to medium-high heat. If a sandwich press is not available, use a large skillet over medium-high heat, and press the sandwiches down using a sturdy plate or skillet. Some indoor grills may be good for this also. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, keeping sandwiches pressed. If using a skillet, you may want to flip them once for even browning. Slice diagonally and serve hot.

Steps:

• Place cumin seeds into a small skillet over medium heat; stir constantly until seeds turn dark brown and smell toasted, about 1 minute. Immediately pour seeds into a bowl to stop the cooking. Mix cumin seeds with orange juice, vegetable oil, steak seasoning, lime juice, and oregano in a bowl.
• Place steaks into a large resealable plastic bag, pour orange juice marinade over the meat, and squeeze out air. Seal bag and turn it over several times to coat meat with marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or longer for extra flavor.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove steaks from marinade, shaking off any excess. Discard used marinade. Grill steaks on the preheated grill until seared on the outsides and still slightly pink in the centers, 6 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted sideways into the center of the thickest steak should read 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Let steaks rest for 3 minutes before slicing.