Recipe of the week: The traditional Cubano gets a makeover
Chef Zac Pelaccio grew up nurtured on his mother
Chef Zac Pelaccio grew up nurtured on his mother’s homemade Italian
carbonara and gnocchi, said Melissa Clark in The New York Times. Later,
after living and working in Malaysia and Thailand, he developed a passion
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
for Southeast Asian cuisine. As a result, the chef of New York’s Fatty Crab and 5 Ninth restaurants often finds that “the siren song of the weird trumps the lullaby of the familiar.” A case in point is his makeover of the familiar Cubano. The result is a sandwich just as comforting as the usual Cubano, but “far more interesting and complex.”
Recipe of the week
5 Ninth’s Cubano
For the pickled jalapeños:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
4 or 5 jalapeño peppers
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt, more to taste
For the aioli:
2 egg yolks
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup canola oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
For the sandwich:
3/4 pound pork shoulder, shredded
2 baguettes, ends trimmed, halved crosswise and lengthwise
1 cup grated aged Gouda cheese (about 4 oz)
12 slices prosciutto (about 5 oz)
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
At least 2 days before serving time, prepare jalapeños, if desired; place peppers in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, warm vinegar, onion, salt over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt. Pour liquid
over jalapeños, let cool to room temperature. Cover, refrigerate for at
least 2 days.
To make aioli in food processor, combine egg yolks, garlic, mustard. With motor running, add oils in slow, steady stream. Blend in lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to make sandwiches seed 2 jalapeños, cut lengthwise into thin strips (alternatively, use purchased pickled jalapeños). Warm roasted pork in microwave or small skillet. Spread inside of baguettes with aioli. Divide remaining ingredients (except oil) among 4 sandwiches, layering cheese, jalapeños, prosciutto, pork. Top with remaining baguette half.
Heat large skillet over high heat. Place second skillet, preferably a cast-iron one, over high heat at same time (it should be slightly smaller than first skillet). When pans are very hot, add oil to larger skillet. Place each sandwich in oil (cut sandwiches in half if they do not fit), press second skillet on top, weighing it down with heavy item to flatten. Cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes each side.
Serves 4.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Grindr 'shared user HIV status' with ad firms, lawsuit claims
Speed Read LGBTQ dating app accused of breaching UK data protection laws in case filed at London's High Court
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UK
The Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Shopping trolleys: the new must-have accessory
Speed Read Sales are soaring as new designs help shed that old-fashioned image
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published