Sándwich de Desayuno Cubano
El Desayuno y La Merienda: Mornings & The Afternoon Respite
Crack a cold egg straight onto a hot cast-iron skillet the second the butter foams; a real Cuban breakfast isn't some aspirational monstrosity loaded with roasted pork and pickles under a fried egg. It is pan con tortilla, the food of the diaspora cafeterias in Miami: a fluffy, folded omelet studded with sweet ham and onions, pressed between heavily buttered, shatteringly crisp supermarket French bread. Eat it hot, dunked into an obscenely strong café con leche.
Before you start
Prep the aromatics ahead of time.
Dice the ham and onions the night before and store them in the fridge to ensure morning assembly takes under ten minutes.
Ingredients
- soft French bread loaf1 large
- eggs4 large
- salted butter4 tbsp
- deli sweet ham4 oz
- white onion1/4 cup
- Swiss cheese4 slices
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Butter the bread generously.
Do not be shy here; the butter melting into the soft interior crumb is the defining flavor of a Cuban cafeteria. Coat the insides of all four pieces of bread.
- 02
Sauté the ham and onions.
In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt a teaspoon of the butter. Toss in the ham and onions, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions are translucent and the ham releases its savory fat.
- 03
Beat the eggs vigorously.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the salt and pepper, and beat them with a fork until frothy and perfectly uniform.
- 04
Cook the tortilla.
Pour the eggs directly over the ham and onions. Swirl the pan to form a flat, even circle, and let it cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes until the bottom sets.
- 05
Add the cheese and fold.
Lay the Swiss cheese slices directly onto the cooking eggs. Using a spatula, fold the sides of the round omelet inward to form a rough rectangle that matches your bread. Remove from the heat; the residual warmth will melt the cheese beautifully.
- 06
Assemble and press the sandwiches.
Slide the folded omelet onto the buttered bottom buns and cap with the tops. Butter the outside crusts, then place the sandwiches in a clean, hot skillet over medium heat. Press them down hard with a heavy pot, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes per side until flattened and shatteringly crisp.
Notes
The heavy pot hack.
Emulate the mechanical plancha of a Miami cafeteria by using a heavy cast-iron skillet to press down on the sandwiches as they toast in the pan.
The croqueta upgrade.
If you have access to frozen ham croquettes, fry a couple and smash them directly into the sandwich right before pressing for the beloved Croqueta Preparada variation.
From Cook Cuban in America.