Cuban Sandwiches & Tostones

S1 E30 | Annie + Kottie Kreischer | Cuban Sandwiches, My Sisters, and the Super Bowl | Something's Burning

Bert goes way back, cooking for his sisters Annie and Kottie Kreischer to celebrate the Bucs heading to the Super Bowl. On the menu: pressure-cooked citrus-garlic pork built into crispy pressed Cuban sandwiches, with golden fried tostones on the side — and yes, he coated just about everything in mayo or butter.

Citrus-Garlic Pork

Ingredients

  • Pork
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Chili flakes
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cumin
  • Oregano
  • 1 large white onion
  • Bay leaves
  • Orange juice
  • Lime juice
  • 1 cup chicken stock

Steps

  1. Set an Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes.
  2. Season the meat with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano, then put it into the Instant Pot.
  3. Slice the onion and add to the meat to brown.
  4. Add the orange and lime juice, chicken stock, and bay leaves.
  5. Set the pressure cooker to 25 minutes.
  6. Chop up the pork and add finishing salt.

Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • Ciabatta bread
  • Mayonnaise
  • Dijon mustard
  • Pickles
  • Swiss cheese
  • Ham
  • Butter

Steps

  1. Heat a skillet on the stove.
  2. Split the bread and layer the sandwich with Dijon, Swiss cheese, pickles, ham, pork, then more Swiss.
  3. Dip the sandwich into melted butter, then toast on the skillet. Place another heavy skillet on top and press down to crisp the bread.

Tostones

Ingredients

  • Plantains
  • Oil, for deep frying
  • Seasoning salt

Steps

  1. Heat a few inches of oil in a pot for deep frying and peel the plantains into 1-inch chunks.
  2. Fry the plantains until golden brown, take out, smash them, and refry for another minute.
  3. Sprinkle with seasoning salt.

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