Cuban Sandwich

I’m in love with Eb & Bean. From their website: Eb & Bean is proudly redefining frozen yogurt with handmade flavors, organic, probiotic-rich dairy, non-dairy deliciousness, and artisanal toppings. The keywords here are the non-dairy and deliciousness. They actually nail non-dairy and do things that aren’t just fruit flavors. There is nothing worse than craving ice cream/fro-yo and all you can find are sorbets. It’s just not the same. Fro-yo just started getting really popular right around my self-imposed dairy ban, and it was really hard to deal with. Even though I’m back on the occasional dairy wagon, yogurt continues to be my nemesis. Having Eb & Bean around is just what I needed. They also strive for the local/seasonal thing too, which generally tastes better. The toppings aren’t just a junky selection of old candy and sad fruit pieces. We’re talking about things like fresh cookie crumbles, donut pieces, marshmallow sauce, honeyed whipped cream, and cold brew bourbon sauce. There is a ton of gluten-free and vegan options if that’s your thing. Three of the yogurt flavors rotate and get all kinds of creative. Tonight? I had the cold brew pecan fro-yo with a mountain of dark chocolate mini chips. So. Freakin’. Good.

Also freakin’ good was the impromptu 90’s dance party I had in my living room last night, but that’s a story for another day.

Let’s talk about Cuban sandwiches. This beast of a sandwich is definitely not an authentic Cuban sandwich, but it’s a fantastic interpretation. That’s all I really care about anyway. Authenticity doesn’t mean that much to me. I’m excited to have authentic eats, don’t get me wrong, but at the end of the day it needs to taste good. That’s priority numero uno.

Bread is key here since the juice of the pork makes such a delicious mess. Slow cooked pork, pickles, cheese, and that gloriously spicy soppressata is so dang good. It’s a mouth party, and you’re invited. The original recipe talks about making zucchini pickles, and had I not been lazy, I’d have made them and told you how awesome they are because I bet they are. I love pickled anything [well, nearly]. I haven’t made pickles because it requires actually having the foresight to make pickles before I want them. I inevitably go to the store and pick some up.

Bon Appétit is to blame the inspiration for the juicy mess that will inevitably drip down your hands with each bite. This magazine never ceases to amaze/fail me. I haven’t been so happy with a food magazine since La Cucina Italiana and we know how they ended up [RIP]. Fingers crossed I’m not the jinx.

Inspiration: Bon Appétit

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 sprig of oregano
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1-2 teaspoons red chile flakes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3lb pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• dijon mustard
• mayo
• brioche buns
• 1/2lb soppressata, thinly sliced
• 1/2lb pepper jack cheese, shredded
• sliced pickles [zucchini pickle recipe can be found in the link]

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300° and get a large Dutch oven. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Optional, sear the pork on all sides for a few minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté, covering in the oil [and pork goodness]. Remove from heat. Nestle the pork back into the pot. Add the oregano, rosemary, chile flakes and chicken broth. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 3-4 hours. Flip the pork every hour or so if you are able. When the pork if falling apart tender, it’s done.

Remove the pork from the oven and bump the temperature up to 400°. Remove about a cup of the liquid if there seems to be a lot left and shred the pork. Place the tops and bottoms of the buns on a baking sheet, face up. On the bottoms, top with a healthy layer of soppressata, pork, and cheese. Place the pan in the oven until the cheese melts. Keep an eye on the tops so they don’t burn, only get toasted. Spread the top halves with the mayo and mustard. Top the cheesy pork with pickles and cover with the top bun. Devour. Bring napkins.