5 NINTH'S CUBANO

5 Ninth's Cubano image

The chef Zak Pelaccio went deep on the ubiquitous Cubano, and came up with this voluptuous, assertive sandwich of velvet-tender pork, salty cheese and crunchy, fiery bites of pickled jalapeño. It takes some time to make and assemble all the ingredients, but a fair amount of it can be done ahead of time and the result, served for a weekend dinner or afternoon feast, is deeply complex and endlessly delicious.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories lunch, project, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 sandwiches

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

4 or 5 jalapeño peppers
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
2 egg yolks
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup canola oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
3/4 pound pork shoulder, shredded
2 baguettes, ends trimmed, halved crosswise and lengthwise
1 cup grated aged Gouda cheese (about 4 ounces)
12 slices prosciutto (about 5 ounces)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

At least 2 days before serving time, prepare jalapeños, if desired: place peppers in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, warm vinegar, onion and salt over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt. Pour liquid over jalapeños and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days and up to 2 weeks.
To make aioli in a food processor combine egg yolks, garlic and mustard. With motor running, add oils in a slow, steady stream. Blend in the lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When you are ready to make sandwiches, seed 2 jalapeños and cut lengthwise into thin strips (alternatively, you can use purchased pickled jalapeños). Warm roasted pork in a microwave or small skillet. Spread the inside of the baguettes with aioli. Divide remaining ingredients (except oil) among 4 sandwiches, layering cheese, jalapeños, prosciutto and pork. Top with remaining baguette half.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Place a second skillet, preferably a cast-iron one, over high heat at the same time (it should be slightly smaller than the first skillet). When pans are very hot, add oil to the larger skillet. Place each sandwich in oil (cut sandwiches in half if they do not fit), and press second skillet on top, weighing it down with a heavy item to flatten. Cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes a side.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 291, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 12 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 540 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams