In
Puerto Rico the
Sandwich Cubano isn't the only sandwich that's pressed to
warm it up. Almost all
sandwiches are treated in this this way. In most cases the sandwich press
improves the finished product, but a
hot tunafish salad sandwich isn't one of them. Yechh! Still, I do wonder why presses are not more
popular in the States. I've never been to
Cuba, but, judging from its
name, I'm certain that the
delicacy wharfinger mentions originated there.
One thing
wharfinger didn't specifically stress is the size of the thing. It's
enormous! When a Puerto Rican isn't quite up to the full
treatment, he can order something called a
medianoche, literally a "
midnight" sandwich, which is almost a
junior version of the
Cubano. For that a special egg bun is used. I'll just bet
challa could be used as well. This bun is pale yellow in color and about 8 inches long. Place in layers on one side of the bread:
- mayonnaise
- dill pickle slices
- thin slices roast pork
- slices of ham
- Swiss cheese
Cover and brush with melted
butter and press. If you don't have a press, use a toaster oven with almost the same effect. It seems important that the whole sandwich is pressed down with some kind of weight for at least part of the heating
procedure.