Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 lbs. Pork Loin
1 lbs. sliced ham
1 pack of Swiss Cheese
1 pack of American Cheese
2 small loaves of Ciabatta Bread (French Bread works too, use Cuban Bread if available)
1 bottle of mustard
1 jar of Dill Pickles (slices)
TSB Cuban Seasoning

Directions:

Place Pork Loin in a plastic sealable bag or covered dish. Add Cuban Seasoning to cover the pork evenly on both sides. Place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least a few hours. This will allow the seasoning to soak into the pork and create a nice coating that will adhere nicely during cooking.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place marinated pork on a baking sheet that is sprayed with cooking spray. Cook pork for 25-30 minutes or until pork is firm, but not tough (give a poke with tongs to check), then let sit on a cutting board before slicing. The pork should be white in color and juicy (slightly pink on the inside is ok too, see pictures).

Drop the temperature of your oven down to 300 degrees.

Assemble your sandwiches. Slice each Ciabatta loaf in half and place the 2 bottom halves on a baking sheet that is covered with aluminum foil, and sprayed with cooking spray. Add slices of Swiss Cheese to both bottom pieces of bread (keeps bread from becoming soggy).

Next, place the rest of the ingredients on the Ciabatta/Swiss in this order (ham slices, pork loin, yellow mustard, dill pickle slices, American Cheese). Lastly, top the sandwich with the remaining slices of Ciabatta Bread.

To finish these sandwiches, first press down on them with both hands to compress each sandwich before placing them in the oven. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes in order to warm each sandwich and melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and place aluminum foil on top of the sandwiches. Place a separate baking sheet on top of the foil/sandwiches, and then a heavy cast iron pan on the baking sheet (see picture). Let this sit for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the cast iron pan/baking sheet/aluminum foil and place the tray of sandwiches back into the oven for about another 10 minutes.

To serve, place the 2 sandwiches on a cutting board and slice them into 8 pieces, or whatever size you desire. Add some potato chips, fries, or your favorite side dish to your plate, and it’s time to eat….Enjoy!