Cuban Turkey Breast Recipes

TURKEY CUBANO

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and another rack directly below it. Place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack. Once the pans are inside, heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and stir in hot sauce or mustard to taste - it should have a kick. Spread mayonnaise mixture inside the rolls, coating both the top and bottom halves. Layer rolls with turkey, ham, cheese, pepperoncini (if using) and pickle slices.
• Using your hands, press the sandwiches down and make sure nothing slides out. (If it does, poke it back in.) Then, use a brush to butter the top and bottom halves of the rolls.
• Remove a hot baking sheet from the oven and place the sandwiches on top. Layer the other hot baking sheet on top of the sandwiches. Place a small pot cast-iron skillet or other heavy heatproof item on top of that second hot baking sheet to create a press.
• Carefully return to oven and bake until sandwiches are warm, toasted and golden brown and the cheese is melted, 8 to 13 minutes. (You'll have to lift off the second pan to check on the sandwiches.) Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

CUBAN TURKEY IN THE CAJA CHINA WITH SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl and rub the turkey with the mixture on the inside and outside.
• Make the marinade: Put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend to combine. Fill an injector with the mixture and inject the turkey all over. It will plump with the fluid.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, in a disposable aluminum pan. Put the pan inside the Caja China box. Place the lid tray in position and build a charcoal fire in the tray (I use a chimney starter to make this easy). Roast the turkey in the box (no peeking!) for 1 1/2 hours, continuously adding charcoal as it burns out. You will use about 8 pounds of charcoal per hour.
• While the turkey is roasting, make the marmalade: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the orange juice, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, and the brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple, onion, and jalapeno. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 15 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove the lid from the Caja China (have a safe place to set it down, as the charcoal is still burning on top). Use the tongs to flip the turkey breast side up. Replace the lid and allow the turkey to roast for another 40 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches at least 165 degrees. Remove the turkey and tent it with foil for 15 minutes. Slice and serve on buns if desired, with pan juices and pineapple marmalade.

TURKEY CUBAN

Steps:

• Whisk together the Dijonnaise and cranberry relish in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the bread on a flat surface and spread each slice with some of the Dijonnaise mixture. Top 2 of the slices of bread with 1 slice of the cheese, ham, turkey another slice of cheese and pickles (in that order). Cover with the remaining bread, Dijonnaise side down.
• Heat a hot skillet over medium heat or a panini press. Wrap a brick in heavy duty aluminum foil (if not using a panini press).
• Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on the top of each sandwich and add to the skillet, if using, or in a panini press, mayonnaise side down. Put the brick on top of the sandwiches and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the brick, spread the top of the sandwiches with the remaining mayonnaise, turn over, and return the brick to the sandwiches. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes longer. Cut in half, transfer to serving plates and serve warm.

GRILLED TURKEY CUBAN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise and chili sauce in small bowl. Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise, mint, and next 4 ingredients in another small bowl.
• Spread chili mayonnaise over cut sides of bread. Top each bottom half of bread with 1 cheese slice, ham slices, and 1 turkey slice. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Spoon mint mayonnaise over turkey. Top with remaining cheese and top halves of bread.
• Working in batches, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large griddle over medium heat. Add 3 sandwiches; top with piece of foil. Place 13x9x2-inch metal pan atop sandwiches. Fill pan with 6 to 8 pounds of canned goods and cook until bread is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove pan with weights and foil. Transfer sandwiches to work surface. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in griddle. Turn sandwiches over onto griddle. Replace foil and pan with weights. Continue cooking until cheese melts and sandwiches are golden brown on second side, about 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Cut in half; serve.

TURKEY MERCEDES

Steps:

• Crush the peeled garlic cloves, and place into a large bowl. Season with pepper, cumin, oregano, and salt. Pour in lemon juice, wine, and orange juice concentrate; whisk together until well mixed.
• Using a sharp paring knife, pierce the turkey breast, thighs, and legs; creating holes for the marinade to penetrate. Pour the marinade over turkey, and into the holes. Finally, stuff garlic pieces into the holes. Cover the turkey well, and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Roast turkey in the preheated oven until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh measures 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), about 5 hours. Baste the turkey every 30 to 45 minutes. Once the breast has browned, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent it from becoming burnt.

MOJO TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey well in cold water and pat very dry with paper towels.
• Make the marinade: Combine garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mash the mixture together with the back of a kitchen spoon to make a kind of paste. Stir sour orange juice (or orange and lime juices) and oil into the paste and whisk to combine. Add oregano leaves and mix again. Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade and put aside.
• Put turkey in a roasting pan that can fit in the refrigerator and cover with remaining marinade, making sure to get a lot of it into the turkey's open cavity. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least a few hours. Baste a few times with marinade.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove turkey from marinade and place on a clean cutting board. Discard marinade and clean roasting pan well. Return turkey to roasting pan, tuck the tips of the wings under the bird and shower it with salt and pepper. Place orange, lime and onion quarters in the turkey's cavity, then truss its legs together with cotton string. Roast turkey, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Baste turkey with pan juices, and add remaining marinade to the pan. Continue roasting turkey, basting every 30 minutes and tenting it with foil if the skin is turning too dark, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees, approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours more. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

GRILLED TURKEY CUBAN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Spray cold grate of outdoor gas grill with cooking spray. Prepare grill for medium indirect heat.
• Remove turkey from package. Dry with paper towels. Discard gravy packet or refrigerate for another use (within 2 - 3 days). Lift string netting and shift position on roast for easier removal after cooking. Cut small slits, at least 1 inch apart, over entire surface of turkey. Insert 1 garlic slice into each slit. Brush turkey with oil.
• Combine cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over turkey.
• Place turkey on grill grate over drip pan. Cover grill with lid. Grill 1 1/4 to 1-3/4 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 170 degrees F when inserted into center of roast. Remove from grill. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Remove string netting. Cut half of the turkey into six 1/8-inch-thick slices. Set aside. Refrigerate unsliced turkey for another use.
• Cut each bread loaf lengthwise in half. Then, cut each into 3 pieces (for 6 sandwiches). Spread the bottom half of each section with 2 teaspoons mustard. Top with the sliced turkey, ham, cheese and pickles. Cover with tops of bread loaves. Press sandwiches with hands to flatten. Tightly wrap individually in aluminum foil.
• Place wrapped sandwiches on grill grate. Top each with heavy iron skillet or brick. Grill 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through.
• Serve sandwiches warm, wrapped in aluminum foil.