Recently we watched Chef on video. It was a bit long, but the happy ending made it totally worth it and we resulted with The Cuban sandwich for dinner, which is always a win/win for me! We had most of the fixin’s from the Parrillada Mixta we created for the progressive dinner and some ordinary staples like, French stick, dill pickles, cheese and onion confit. It made for a very tasty meal.
Cubano (adapted from Chef, the movie)
Makes 4 small sandwiches (about 8-10 cm or 3-4″ long)
Ingredients:
- 4 smallish portions of baguette
- 4 tbsp yellow mustard
- 4 tbsp onion confit
- thinly sliced leftover steak, to cover one side of bread
- thinly sliced Argentine Chorizo, to cover one half of bread
- 8 thinly sliced pieces of cheese (we used sharp cheddar)
- 4-6 thinly sliced dill pickles (depending on the size of the pickle)
- Butter
Directions:
- Preheat your double sided grill (like a panini) until smoking hot.
- Slice each baguette in half and reserve the top half.
- On the bottom half, spread 1 tbsp of onion confit on each slice.
- Layer the thinly sliced meat, then sausage, then dill pickles and lastly the cheese.
- On the top half, smear 1 tbsp yellow mustard on each slice.
- Top the sandwich.
- Grill the sandwich so that it’s heated all the way through and the cheese has melted. Eat immediately.
Notes:
- For the baguette, I used this recipe. It was very labour and time intensive but the result of the texture was perfect!
- For the onion confit, I used this tried and true recipe.
- The meat is generally slow cooked with a variety of spices and the onion confit is not a usual component of a Cubano, so that’s why I called it ‘adapted’
- Even though the sandwiches were small, they were very filling and I would say one would have done us just fine. Yes, we’re pigs.
I made it & loved every bite, so did my hubby Peter! 😊😊😊
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I’m so very pleased Sophie! Thank you gor letting me know.
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Loved that movie! Will have to try these now that you’ve done them! 🙂
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Thanks Fati.
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Delicious! I love a good Cuban sandwich and this post reminds me that I’ve not been to this little Cuban diner in quite some time for one of their best. I like your choice of meats for your sandwich and will keep this post in mind for the next time I’ve a bi of steak leftover. Besides, it’s been a while since I broke out the panini press and what better way to do it! Thanks, Eva.
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I was at a coffee shop today and was so tempted to order one when I saw it on the menu, but I resisted…I’ll just have to make it again soon. Great use for a panini press…I used a cast iron griddle which worked out well too.
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This is one of my two favorite sandwiches. Can’t believe you made the bread too! You are amazing. The onion confit sounds delicious and I can almost taste the pickles!
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This looks so tasty! I am getting hungry just looking at this!
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Hi Cathleen, welcome to my blog. Thanks for your lovely comment.
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well I’ll have to check out Chef — you’ve whetted my appetite ;-). Steak sandwiches are probably my favorite and the ingredients in these cubanos are very enticing Eva (onion confit, yum!). I also appreciate the pickles — to me every sandwich is made better through their addition 😀 (especially like the extra-garlicky kind).
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I do love garlicky pickles too Kelly. The combination of the ingredients in this sandwich was fantastic, I’m sure we’ll make it again, hopefully soon!
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Great sandwiches, Eva. I always prefer a baguette sandwich rather than any other bread. I have never seen this film. I must add to my wish list (it’s the perfect time of the year I guess 😉 ).
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I too prefer a baguette or at least a seedy German-style bread for sandwiches. Here in NA there is a tendency to serve what I call cotton-baton bread, which is plain, tasteless white bread that sticks to your teeth like glue. I avoid such sandwiches. Yes indeed, Sissi, this time of year is perfect for watching movies.
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I loved that movie. It was so totally predictable but that didn’t matter, I was hooked in from the first. I also love this sandwich and I agree with Charlie, I want the onions too.
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Most movies are totally predictable these days though, aren’t they Maureen? The sandwich was a winner for sure.
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I can totally understand that with a sandwich that good there is enough reason to have more than one. I love the sound of all the ingredients – yum. Must check out your onion confit recipe. I haven’t seen the movie but now I absolutely must xx
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Thank you for your kind words Charlie. The sandwich was indeed a winner.
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Hehe all I kept thinking during the movie was that I wanted a Cuban sandwich SO badly! Your version looks fantastic!
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We were so hungry by the end of the movie, Lorraine, we could hardly contain ourselves! Thank you for your kind words.
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I loved that movie, but when I was done there was no sandwich in my home! Where does one find onion confit? I’d love to try these!
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Hi Barbara, I make it myself in large batches and freeze in small ziplock bags.
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those cuban sandwiches look delicious. My husband is a nut for sandwiches
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Thank you kindly Jessica, you really can’t go wrong with the flavours in this sandwich.
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Funny, I loved the movie, but the ending was way too cheesy for me. The grilled cheese sandwich he makes for his son was perfection though.
After that movie I hopped online to see if there was anywhere in Auckland that I could find a Cuban Sandwich. There wasn’t any then. But the other day, I found a place that does!
Of course, I could have made it myself but I wanted my first one to be made by a professional. Although, I’m guess that in Auckland, the professional has probably never tasted an authentic one either. I might be better winging it.
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Hi Genie, I’ve had several different versions of the Cuban so I’m sure there are varieties depending on where you are from. Did you enjoy it? It sure has a lot of components so making it on a regular basis wouldn’t be easy, we just happened to have the ingredients on hand, by luck!
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I need to watch Chef, too…I’ve heard such good reviews from my friends. And I love that you just happened to have onion confit, etc, on hand…a true foodie! And a Cuban made with a homemade baguette? Amazing!
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Hi Liz, I generally make a very large batch of the onion confit and freeze it into small baggies so I have some on hand all the time. The baguette was fantastic too, thank you for your comment.
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Inspired by a cooking movie, what could be better right? These cuban sandwiches look delicious 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Hi CCU, thanks for your comment and yes, inspiration from the movie was indeed perfect!
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I love cooking movies and have been meaning to see that one and 100 Step Journey since I saw the trailers. A cubano sandwich sounds pretty amazing though I’d buy a good baguette at a local bakery and save myself a LOT of work. 🙂
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No kidding Dana,?it really was incredibly delicious.
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Labor intensive recipes are always so worth it at the end.
I don’t know what it is but afterwards yo’re just like, “Well I’ll be damned..”
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I have never had an authentic Cuban sandwich. These look really superb, Eva.
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Hi Angie, it’s incredibly delicious.
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