Kubacuba Recipes

CUBANO

Steps:

• Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and spread evenly on the inside of the bread slices. Layer on half of the cheese, the ham, pork, Quick Garlic Pickles and the remaining cheese. Cover with another slice of bread and butter the outside (top and bottom) of the sandwich.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and place the sandwiches in the pan. Top with a second cast-iron skillet to weigh the sandwiches down. After 2 minutes, turn down the heat to medium low, flip the sandwiches and weigh down again with the second skillet. Check the sandwiches after 1 more minute, and remove when golden brown and the cheese has melted.
• Ingredients and Directions
• Place the cucumber slices in a medium bowl. Heat 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan with the vinegar, onions, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes and garlic, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat and pour over the cucumbers and stir to coat the slices well. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and serve.

CLASSIC CUBA LIBRE

Steps:

• Fill a 12-ounce glass with ice cubes. Pour the rum and cola beverage into the glass. Stir in the lime juice, and serve.

CUBAN MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend the garlic, zest, juice, cumin and salt in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped.
• With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until emulsified.
• Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with pepper.
• Stir in the cilantro.
• The mojo can be made up to four days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

CUBAN BREAD AUTHENTIC PAN CUBANO RECIPE

Steps:

• To create the starter, combine the warm water and the yeast.
• Set it aside for about 15 minutes and then check the bowl.
• The mixture should be foamy and bubbly. If it's not, your yeast is not fresh, so try again with fresh yeast.
• If the yeast is alive, stir in the flour. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it aside overnight.
• The next morning, the starter should be bubbly and slightly risen. Set it aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Use the remainder of the package of yeast and combine it in a clean bowl with the sugar.
• Stir in the warm water and let it sit for about 15 minutes to check the yeast for freshness. When the time has passed, the yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy.
• Melt the lard and add it to the bowl, along with the salt and one cup of the flour.
• Mix it well to form a sticky, wet dough.
• Add the starter from last night along with another cup and a half of the flour.
• Stir well. The dough should start to form a ball. You should have about a half cup of flour left for kneading.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in some of the remaining flour.
• You should knead this dough for at least 20 minutes to get the texture right. If you don't want to knead by hand, feel free to use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• When you are done kneading, the dough should be a ball that is smooth, shiny, and elastic.
• Coat a large mixing bowl with cooking oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, turning it to coat.
• Cover the dough ball with a clean dish towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for at least two hours or until it is doubled in size.
• Grease a large baking sheet with a rim and sprinkle cornmeal all over it.
• Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Shape each half into a long rectangular loaf that is about a half-inch thick and twelve to eighteen inches long.
• You can use a rolling pin if you like. Roll the dough from the long side to form a very skinny, rolled loaf.
• Place the loaf on one of the prepared pans and repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• Cover the loaves with clean dish towels and allow them to rise for about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut a slit in the top of the loaves by running a sharp knife or razor blade lengthwise down the loaf of bread.
• Lightly spray the loaves of bread with water.
• Place the loaves in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, misting every 10 minutes with water.
• Remove from the oven and allow the bread loaves to cool for about twenty minutes before slicing.
• Cuban bread dries out very quickly. If you can't eat it all within a day, freeze the bread, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to a month.

KUBBE

Steps:

• Place bulgur in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and cumin. Gradually mix in the cup of water to make a stiff but not crumbly dough. Knead for a few minutes to fully bind the ingredients. If it is too mushy, let it sit for a while, and the bulgur will absorb some of the water.
• For the filling: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until browned. Remove from the skillet. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet, and cook until evenly browned, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease. Season with allspice, salt, and cinnamon, and stir in the cooked onions and pine nuts. Allow to cool enough to handle.
• Form the dough into walnut-sized balls. Press your thumb into the ball while it is enclosed in your other hand to form a tube. The cylinder should be about 2 inches long, and the thinner the walls are, the better they will cook. Fill the cavity with as much of the meat mixture as you can, then seal the end to form a torpedo shape. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. At this point, the kubbe may be frozen. Freeze on baking sheets, then transfer to freezer bags when solid.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). If the oil is not hot enough, the kubbe will fall apart. Carefully place the kubbe into the hot oil, and fry until nicely browned, about 1 minute. Remove with tongs to paper towels to drain. Serve with tahini.