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Cuban Sandwich
I have never had the opportunity to visit Havana and enjoy all the culinary treats of the city and country it calls home. I have been fortunate enough to visit Cuba's closest geographical US point, Key West. As diverse as the food scene is in key West, the one treat I always go back for (several times) is the Cubano or Cuban sandwich. While no one can quite pinpoint the exact time or place of this pressed sandwich's origin, there is no shortage of places to find it in South Florida.
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Pork Belly Debris Grilled Cheese
I'll begin this with a question: Is there a better dish to ride shotgun with a hot bowl of soup than a grilled cheese sandwich? In my uneducated, untrained opinion, I say "nope". Whether you agree or disagree with my assertion that it is the best, I'm sure at the very least we can agree that it's pretty darn good. And you may ask, is it possible to improve on the concept of ooey, gooey, melted cheese in between two bread slices? Of course it is. You just slap some melt in your mouth, pull apart tender pork belly in there.
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Baby Back Ribs
Ribs. The great backyard equalizer. Properly done, they are tough to beat no matter what delicious backyard bbq recipes are on your resume. On a BBQ scale of difficulty, I would rank these somewhere between pork shoulder (aka pulled pork) and brisket. While not quite as difficult as brisket, ribs still present their own challenges. Like shoulder and brisky, ribs are not too be rushed. This means, at least for me, these are definitely a weekend endeavor. You can expect anywhere from up to seven hours for spares or up to five or six hours for baby backs.
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Pork Cheesesteak
Cheesesteaks are traditionally made with beef and provolone but I changed this one up because well, I didn't have beef or provolone. And to tell you the truth, I'm pretty lazy in the evenings. After I get home from a day at work and shower, the five minute drive to the store can seem like hiking the Appalachian Trail. So, I improvised. Some sautéed pork and peppers, a little cheddar sauce, a slice or two of smoked gouda, and we're in business.
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Braised Pork Belly BLT
I'm going to get right to the point because this subject is important. I've mentioned before about the importance of finding the freshest produce available. This holds true for just about every fruit and/or veggie but none more so than the tomato. These tomatoes we were sent by Pure Flavor are out of this world in both flavor and freshness. The checklist for a perfect tomato is pretty small, but very important. They should be firm to the touch; a slight bit of sweetness to the taste; and a wonderful, natural, smell that leads you to believe these little guys were hanging comfortably on their vine a mere five minutes…
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Fried Pork Belly
Of the many delicious cuts from our good friend, the pig, perhaps none are as famous as bacon. The belly of the pig is cured, smoked, then usually served alongside some eggs or in between two pieces of bread with lettuce and tomato. As yummy as bacon is, when you skip the steps of curing and smoking you're left with a different treat all its own.
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Pulled Pork
Easily one of the most recognizable forms of BBQ is pulled pork. Which, by definition, is a piece of pork that has been cooked to a temperature that allows itself to be pulled off the bone. Many cuts can be used but the most common is the shoulder, aka Boston Butt. A staple at every decent BBQ restaurant and competition. For first time smokers, pulled pork is an excellent option mainly because the shoulder is a very forgiving cut of meat.
