Cubano

I know Simpkins is a fan of Cubans, and I'm not talking cigars or women here. I'm talking sandwiches. Even though I hate communists, the Cuban sandwich is one of my favorites. It is the perfect combo of oozy cheese, crunchy pickles and bread, salty ham and delicious pork tenderloin. Here is my version............

Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin/Cuban Sliders

I made a pork tenderloin for dinner tonight, which made me realize that I never posted my Cuban Sliders from the Super Bowl. They are awesome and this pork is a tasty recipe all by itself or made into one of my favorite sandwichs of all time (see below for Cuban Sliders recipe). The key to the pork tenderloin is not to overcook it, I pull it when its at 148 degrees for medium (and yes people, pork can be cooked medium and you won't catch any diseases).

Pork tenderloins, Cuban style:
Adapted from a Rachel Ray Recipe

1 2/3 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, 2 pieces, the average weight of 1 package, trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, zested
1 large orange, zested
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili flake
1/2 teaspoon cayenne peper

Method:

Rub tenderloins with oil and combine the rest of the ingredients in a large dish. Coat tenderloins with rub mixture and let marinade for upto 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Heat large cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear tenderloins on all sides, about 2 minutes per sided. Slide skillet into oven and cook until internal temp is 148 (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from pan, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice on a bias and serve.

Tonight I opted to seared the tenderloins on one half of a preheated grill, then I killed the heat on that side and allowed them to finish on indirect heat until they reach 148. Its helpfull to have an oven thermometer for this method.

For the Cuban Sliders (makes 12):

1 recipe Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin
1 package of Hawaiian sweet bread (I used the dinner rolls for the sliders)
1/2 pound of smoked ham
1/4 pound of swiss cheese slices, cut into 4 squares (about the size of the rolls)
1/2 of mayonaise
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
Clausen pickle sandwich slices (halved)

Method:

Preheat 2 cookie sheets in a 400 degree oven. Slice the dinner rolls in half before seperating them. Mix together mayonaise and mustard. Spread mixture on both halves of the dinner rolls. Layer slider bottoms by adding, cheese, tenderloin, ham, more cheese, and a pickle. Finish with top buns and place sandwiches on one of the preheated cookie sheets. Place other cookie sheet on top and put a heavy object on top to press the sandwiched town. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted.

Prosciutto, Fig, and Goat Cheese Panini

Beth made a delicious salad with crisp prosciutto, goat cheese, and figs (recipe to come) so I had to figure something out to do with the leftovers. What better way than to slap them between some buttered bread? None I can think of. The pepper in the goat cheese added a nice flavor and the only thing I might consider doing differently would be roasting the figs to bring out more flavor. I can't think of three ingredients that go together better than prosciutto, figs, and goat cheese; a must try if you haven't experienced it.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (preferably Italian ciabatta or similar)
2 teaspoons butter
3 slices of prosciutto
6-8 black mission figs, halved and stems removed
2 oz goat cheese
Ground black pepper to taste

Process:

Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Assemble sandwich bottom to top starting with bread, goat cheese, pepper, figs, prosciutto, more figs, more cheese and other slice of bread. Spread one side of the sandwich with 1 teaspoon of butter and place buttered side down in skillet. Place heavy object on top of sandwich (I use my tea kettle on top of a second skillet) and cook for 3-5 min or until golden brown and cheese has started to melt. Spread butter on other side of sandwich and flip. Replace heavy object and cook another 3-5 minutes. Slice on a bias.