If you have leftover roast pork, especially from Lechon Asado, this is how to use it. Combined with ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, it makes the classic grilled sandwich of the Latin Caribbean. Though purists insist on Cuban bread (essentially a fairly soft French loaf), the best I ever had was in San Juan, made on a sweet roll. A definite bastardization but one that demonstrated that almost any kind of bread will do and that this sandwich is great in many guises. Ordinary yellow mustard is the norm for this, but consider Dijon or brown mustard instead. Similarly, bad dill pickles are standard, but if you can lay your hands on some half-sour pickles (or use Lightly Pickled Cucumbers, page 455), the results will be better— if less “authentic.”

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 serving

　　One 6- to 8-inch loaf Cuban, French, or Italian bread

　　Butter for the bread

　　Several thin slices Lechon Asado (page 375) or other roast pork

　　Several thin slices ham

　　Several slices Swiss cheese

　　Sliced dill pickles

　　Mustard

　　1 tablespoon butter if needed

　　

Step 1

Cut the bread in half the long way and butter it. Layer with pork, ham, cheese, and pickles. Spread with mustard. Top with the other half of the bread and squash the sandwich with your hand.

　　

Step 2

Use a sandwich press or put 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it melts, add the sandwich and weight it with a plate and something heavy—a filled teakettle, a big rock, some cans, whatever. You really want to squash the sandwich. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn and brown the other side. Lower the heat if necessary so the cheese melts before the bread becomes too browned.

　　

Step 3

Cut in half on the diagonal and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.