The Cuban Midnight (Medianoche) Sandwich is a favorite in Cuba. For traditional sandwiches, the pork is slow roasted in Cuban spices, giving it a garlic/citrus smell. Unlike most American sandwiches, Cubans do not normally eat tomatoes or lettuce on their sandwiches and many do not include mayonnaise, although this recipe does. The sweet rolls of the Medianoche makes it a favorite nighttime snack, hence the name.
For this recipe, you will need four sweet bread rolls, mayonnaise, prepared mustard, one pound of thinly sliced cooked ham, one pound of thinly sliced fully cooked pork, one pound of sliced Swiss cheese, sliced dill pickles, and butter.
Slice the sweet bread rolls in two and spread both mustard and mayonnaise on each side. Divide the cooked ham, cooked pork, and Swiss cheese among the four sandwiches. Place the dill pickle slices on one side. Close the sandwich and brush the top and bottom of the roll with melted butter.
If you have a sandwich press or George Foreman grill, press the sandwich for 5 minutes. If you do not have a sandwich press or George Foreman grill, you can use a turner to press the sandwich in a skillet while it cooks over medium high heat. If you are using a skillet, remember to flip the sandwich to allow both sides to brown.
The Midnight sandwich is excellent served with fried plantains. For this recipe, you will need 2 cups of vegetable oil, 3 plantains (peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces), salt, and garlic powder.
Heat the two cups of oil in skillet over medium heat or you can use a deep fryer if you have one. Place a few of the plantain chips in the fryer and let them cook for three minutes, until they are light brown. Drain them on a paper towel and repeat until all the chips have been cooked. While still warm, place them between two pieces of wax paper and flatten them with your hands until they are about a 1/4 inch. Return the chips back to the skillet and let them finish cooking until golden brown. Season the chips with garlic powder and salt.
Check out the food blog for the Cuban turkey sandwich.