Entertaining with Chef Eddie
Mojo Dipping Sauce
We just finished racing in Richmond VA and as usual it was a hot race with the track temperature reaching 106 degrees. With all of that heat the last thing that the track officials want is a heavy meal that is going to slow you down and the last thing we want to do in the kitchen is to do a lot of stove top cooking. So, with that in mind I turn to recipes from regions that are hot and have a good blend of flavors.
On Friday we served a version of a Cuban Sandwich. This is a simple sandwich that is satisfying and pares well with the heat. It is a 6 inch piece of Italian bread or Vienna roll, shaved smoked ham, Swiss cheese, Mojo marinated roast pork, crunchy dill pickle slices and Mayonnaise with some of the Mojo Marinade and some Dijon Mustard mixed together. We used boneless pork loin and marinated it overnight in a Mojo marinade, roasted in a 350 degree oven to about 145 degree internal temperatures. But you can use any cut of pork you prefer, after roasting we let it cool to room temp and sliced it thin.
To assemble the sandwich, smear a generous amount of the dressing in the top half of the bread and building on the bottom half stack the shaved ham, roasted pork, the pickle slices then the cheese put the top on the sandwich and brush the outside with a small amount of melted butter. In a skillet over medium heat brown the sandwich on both sides pressing firmly with a spatula to flatten it. You should cook it until the cheese is melted but a way of cheating this is once the sandwich is grilled wrap it in foil and put it in a hot oven. This sandwich should be served warm and goes great with a chilled soup like Fresh Gazpacho.
When I make this at home I marinate and roast a pork loin for dinner and serve it with black beans and rice and use the leftover pork for the sandwich. After the pork is cooked it freezes well so it is worth cooking a larger pork loin.
As always, have fun with this recipe and sandwich and try this marinade on other things like fish or chicken.
Mojo Sauce (printable)
1/3 cup pure olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
MAKE THE MOJO SAUCE:
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool.
