"cubano sandwich" news and stories

• A foodie tour of the Mediterranean with Jacques Pepin.
• Eight travelers pick their favorite foods from around the world (and their favorite bags to put that food in).
• Airstream Cuisine.
• What are chefs in Spain interested in now?
• Who's the next Jamie Oliver?
• A quick guide to Pinot Noir.
• How to make a better cupcake.
• New stuff for your kitchen, here, here, and here.
• This month's recipes include: Chilled Russian Borscht, Tangy Twice-Cooked Eggplants with Red Peppers, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad, Spiced Pinto Beans with Chorizo, Cubano Sandwiches, Korean Grilled Beef, Baja Fried Shrimp Tacos, Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives, Chocolate Buttermilk Cake, and Lemonade Slushies with Mint and Lemon Verbena.

The one time I tried a Cuban sandwich, I was in South Beach. It was early morning, and I was, uh, on my way back to our hotel from our evening out. As we often are after a long night of fun and frivolity, I was hungry, so I stopped to get something to eat. I had heard of Cuban sandwiches, so I ordered one, thinking that it would be some special, sweet bread stuffed with spicy exotic fillings. Boy, was I ever disappointed that it was basically a ham and cheese sandwich pressed on a grill.

Perhaps my disappointment was naive, or perhaps the particular sandwich I ate was just poorly executed with sub-standard ingredients. I mean how could something that looks as good as Kevin's take on the Cuban sandwich be bad, especially when a key ingredient is citrus-marinated roast pork? The classic Cuban sandwich is made with Cuban bread, though an Italian or French bread can be used. The bread is slathered with yellow mustard, then layered with baked ham, thinly sliced roast pork, thinly sliced dill pickles, and Swiss cheese. The whole thing gets pressed down, traditionally on a plancha, but any type of sandwich press, even a homemade one, will do.