Most American's menus are derivative of their lineage. Recipes
passed down from generations ago and played with until home
cooks have their own Americana cuisine. Some of America's first
cuisine was old English food. That was followed by Holland,
German, French, Italian and Irish fare, just to name a few. We
love these foods and we expand on them to make America a true
melting pot of culture and cuisine. One cultures food that has
recently taken center stage is that of Cuba. Cuban food is
delicious and simple to prepare. One of my favorite Cuban
delicacies is its name sake, the Cuban sandwich.

The Cuban sandwich is a grilled and pressed sandwich with pork,
ham, cheese and pickles. Most people who are unfamiliar with
Cuban food would know this type of sandwich as the Italian's
call it, a Panini. It's the same principle. The Cuban sandwich I
make isn't exactly 100% traditional, but it's still delicious
and easy to make. And even better, I can make it on my grill in
about 30 minutes, start to finish. I serve plantains on the
side, which are nothing more than a starchy banana. I mash
grilled plantains with brown sugar and orange zest for an
unexpected side dish.

Cuban Sandwiches with Grilled Plantains:

At the grocery store, we're going to need some pork (I just pick
up some prepared pork loin and slice it at home), some ham, good
bread (it's hard to find Cuban bread, so I go with French),
Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese, pickle spears, a few plantains,
brown sugar and an orange. Grab some olive oil if you don't have
any and make sure to have salt and pepper on hand.

Most of the preparation is done off the grill, but we can save
time and cook the plantains while we're preparing the Cuban
sandwiches. But the first thing we need to do is find a heavy
iron skillet or perhaps a brick wrapped really well in aluminum
foil. This will be to weigh down the sandwich so that we get
great grill marks and that pressed appeal that makes a Cuban a
Cuban. So start by setting your grill to medium heat and place
the plantains on, along with the brick or skillet to let it get
rocket hot.

Now, close the lid and let's prepare the Cubans. I usually cut
my bread into about 5 inch long slices. The first thing I do is
brush both sides lightly with Dijon mustard. Next, I just layer
the ingredients on; pork, ham, cheese, pickle. I close the
sandwiches and lay a slightly weighted baking sheet over them so
they hold their shape until I'm ready to cook. After about 15
minutes, remove your plantains. While they're cooling down a
bit, go ahead and zest half of the orange and mix it with 3
tablespoons of brown sugar.

When you're ready to put the Cubans on the grill, make sure you
oil the racks well. Place the Cubans down and place the weight
on top of them. We want them to go for about 7-10 minutes. After
they're nice and crispy, take them off and set aside. Peel your
plantains and put them into a bowl. Add the sugar, zest mixture
and mash up with a fork. You can add some of the juice from the
orange if they're looking a bit dry. This is a meal that any
Cuban would be proud of.