A Decadent Lunch: The Cubano Sandwich with Skillet Lard-fried Pommes Frites

Wherever there are people, there’s a sandwich — from Chinese bao buns and French baguettes to Vietnamese Banh Mi or Philly cheesesteak. Some, though, are more special than others. Not without controversy, today we’re putting a spotlight on the Cuban sandwich as one of the most generous sandwiches of them all, but we’re doing it our way. At the end of the day, the story behind the meaty sub is ill-defined, and many versions exist.

Some attribute the Cuban sandwich to an Ybor City eatery in Tampa: Carmine’s, and it sounds about right. After all, the sandwich is popular in Florida and the thriving Cuban community. Other stories lead to Mexico City in the fifties, right before the Cuban Revolution. Legend says, their very own Fidel Castro created the now-famous Cuban torta, not dissimilar to the Cubano, stuffing a bun with a whole lot of ingredients, including, of course, the Cuban sandwich’s most critical element — cured, smoked pork loin slices.

For our Cubano sandwich, we’ll use, again, not without fuss, two slices of good old artisan country white bread instead of the crusty Cuban bread. Still, we’re toasting it nicely to simulate the crunchy first bite. A few slices of cured pork loin, which you can get in any respectable deli, will be our sandwich’s heart and soul, but there’s much more. A few spoonfuls of tangy whole-grain Dijon mustard, Cornichon pickles, and a hefty sauerkraut bed over a creamy slice of Swiss cheese will take this Cuban-inspired sandwich to new pleasurable heights. A side of skillet lard-fried Pommes Frites will add the fifth star to this decadent lunch.

Ingredients for the pommes frites

2 large potatoes
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons lard
Dried oregano and salt, to taste

Ingredients for the sandwich

2 slices of thick, artisan white bread
4 slices of thin-cut smoked pork loin
1 slice Swiss cheese
2 Cornichon pickles
2 tablespoons sauerkraut
2 tsp whole-grain mustard

Directions for the pommes frites

Cut the potatoes for thick-cut fries. In a pot, heat water with a teaspoon of salt and the baking powder. Once boiling, throw in the potatoes, and cook for ten minutes. Don’t let them fall apart.

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel. In a thick-bottomed skillet at high heat, melt the lard and carefully add the potatoes. Stir often until golden and crispy. Sprinkle with salt and oregano and reserve.

Directions for the sandwich

Remove the excess fat from the skillet and place it over a low flame. Toast the bread slices on both sides until nice and golden. Place the Swiss cheese over one piece of bread (or both), and let it melt until soft. Set aside.

Warm up the pork loin slices in the lard-cured skillet until they sizzle, and then build your sandwich starting with the sauerkraut, the smoked ham, the pickles, and the mustard. Top and serve immediately.