As you can see, the love of sandwiches has continued this week—from the deliciousness of "Pulled Pork" to the incredible merging of sweet and savory with the "Monte Cristo"

Now though I bring you that most delectable of Miami favorites, the "Cubano" or "Cuban Sandwich"

As with Cuban bread, the origin of the Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a "Cuban mix," a "mixto," a "Cuban pressed sandwich," or a "Cubano") is murky and somewhat intriguing...

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, travel between Cuba and Florida was easy, especially from Key West and Tampa, and Cubans frequently sailed back and forth for employment, pleasure, and family visits...

Because of this constant and largely undocumented movement of people, culture and ideas, it is impossible to say exactly when or where the Cuban sandwich originated.—it's rumored, though, to have originated in Cuba or Key West before spreading in popularity from Tampa to Miami...

Wherever it came from, and whatever it's origins, you almost have to stop to try one in "Versailles" or another eatery in "Little Havana" just to indulge in some of the local flavor...

If traveling to the sandy shores of Florida is out of the question though, why not sit back comfortably in your own home and try my very own tasty take on this Southeastern classic...

I think you'll find it to be oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Classic Cuban Sandwich"

Ingredients:
8 oz. Brown Sugar Baked Pit Ham, sliced (see recipe section)
12 oz. Roasted Marinated Pork Shoulder, sliced (see recipe section)
8 oz. Emmentaler Swiss Cheese, thinly sliced
6 Half-Sour Dill Pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup Sweet Cream Butter, softened
3 tablespoons Yellow Mustard, for brushing
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise, for brushing
6 (six to 9 inches long) soft Baguettes or Club rolls, split
lengthwise (If Cuban bread is unavailable)

Directions:
1. Heat a large cast-iron griddle or panini press. Add the ham slices to the griddle and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer ham to a plate...
2. Generously butter the cut sides of each baguette(roll) and toast on the griddle over moderate heat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes...
3. Transfer the baguettes to a work surface and generously brush the top cut sides with 2 teaspoons of mustard, and the bottom cut sides with 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise...
4. Layer the ham, emmentaler Swiss cheese, pickles and pork on to each baguette and close the sandwiches...
5. Generously brush the outside of the sandwiches with more butter and set them on the griddle or press; if using a griddle, top the sandwiches with a large baking sheet and weigh it down with heavy cans or a cast-iron skillet...
6. Now cook the sandwiches over moderate heat until they’re browned and crisp on the outside and the cheese is melted, 3 minutes per side on a griddle or 3 minutes total in a press. Cut the "Cubanos" in half and serve while hot with some Yucca fries with banana ketchup or chips...

Notes:
Additional Recipes:

"Yucca Fries with Banana Ketchup"

Ingredients:
Ketchup:
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
4 whole pickled jalapeños, stems discarded, plus 2 tablespoon pickling liquid from the jar
1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 cup ketchup
1 cup lightly packed Basil
Sea Salt and Pepper

Fries:
3 pounds yucca (about 4 yucca)
Peanut oil, for frying
Sea Salt
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:
Ketchup:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the bananas with the vegetable stock, onion, water, pickled jalapeño, garlic and ginger and bring to a boil...
2. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring, until the bananas and onion are very tender, 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let cool slightly. Add the ketchup, basil and the jalapeño pickling liquid and puree until smooth...
3. Scrape the banana ketchup into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes...
Fries:
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Peel the yucca and cut into 3-inch lengths. Cut the lengths into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Cook the yucca in the boiling water until tender, 10 to 15 minutes...
2. Drain well and spread on a baking sheet to cool and dry; discard any stringy pieces of yucca...
3. In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 360 degrees. Set a rack over a baking sheet. Working in batches, fry the yucca, stirring gently to separate the wedges, until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes...
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wedges to the rack and season generously with salt. Serve right away with the banana ketchup and lime wedges...

*"Waves Breaking Along the Florida Gulf"*

So recently I played around with this wonderful pastry recipe that had been floating around in my head for more than a little bit...

This of course was the "Pastelitos" or Cuban Pastries I made and posted not so long ago...

Of course, at the time, I had only done the one version (Inspired by the movie "Chef" in no small part—definitely watch it if you haven't yet); it was a sort of mini Cubanos sandwich pastry which I just loved for it's scrumptious mix of savory and sweet...

This time, though, I decided to go all out and create a veritable multitude of "Pastelitos Pastries" to bring in to work. (As well as a few for friends & family to enjoy at home)

So to get down to the details, and without any further ado, I give you my four delectable and delicious Cuban Puff Pastries....

Pastelitos de Carne, Queso, Cubanos and Nutella Queso...

Each different but equally wonderful; from the sweetened cream cheese filling off the one to the savory meaty picadillo filling off another. (Love the capers and pimento stuffed olives mixed in–Yum)

"Love the sweet outer shell of puff pastry"

Everyone ate them up lickety-split and now are constantly asking when I'm bringing in more for them. (I think it's the sugary syrup coating on top of each–I could eat that all day)

Such a wonderful, easy and enjoyable dish to make and share and oh so—
"Definitely Delish"

"Pastelitos"

Ingredients:
For Puff Pastry:
10 ounces unsalted Butter
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon fine Sea Salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

For Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water

For Egg Wash:
3 eggs, beaten
2 ounces water

For Filling:
Nutella
2 (8 ounce) packages Cream Cheese
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1/4 cup white Sugar
2 tablespoons Milk
(see notes for other options)

Directions:
For Puff Pastry:
1. Cut 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter into 1/2 to 1/4-inch dice, place on a plate and refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.Measure water and add salt; stir to dissolve and set aside...
2. Coarsely dice remaining 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter. Place flour in work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade; add 4 tablespoons butter and pulse until butter is absorbed -- about ten to twelve 1-second pulses...
3. Add remaining butter and pulse once or twice to distribute. Add water and pulse 3 or 4 times, just until dough forms a rough ball. Do not over-process...
4. Flour work surface and scrape dough from work bowl. Shape dough into a rough rectangle and place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Press dough with rolling pin to flatten, then roll back and forth several times with rolling pin to make a 12 by 18 inch rectangle of dough...
5. Peel away plastic wrap and invert dough to floured work surface. Peel away second piece of wrap. Fold dough in thirds in the width, folding the top third down and the bottom third up, to make a 6 by 18-inch rectangle, then roll up the dough from one of the 6-inch ends, making sure to roll end under dough...
6. Press the dough into a square, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm...

For Pastelitos:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; then prepare simple syrup by mixing water and sugar in a small saucepan and bringing it to a boil, then lowering the temperature to low and simmering for 5 minutes-afterwards remove from heat and allow to cool...
2. For the Cream Cheese mixture; take two packages of cream cheese at room temperature. Then with an electric mixer, mix in two tablespoons milk and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Gradually add sugar and continue mixing until fluffy...
3. Now take the sheet of puff pastry you've constructed and cut it into shapes; circles, triangles, squares or whatever you like...
4. For cream cheese filled add a small amount of the cream cheese mixture to the center of each piece of puff pastry...
5. For the Nutella and sweetened cream cheese filled; add a small amount of nutella (best if you've pre-measured onto wax paper in heaping teaspoons and frozen in freezer), followed by a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture...
6. Moisten the edges of the dough strips with a little water. Cover each filling covered piece of dough with the remaining two dough pieces. Seal the edges on all sides of the dough by pressing and smoothing gently with your hands...
7. Brush the top with an egg wash (3 eggs beaten with 2 ounces of water), then bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes -- pastry should be crisp on top and lightly browning...
8. Remove the pastries from the oven and brush with the simple syrup (recipe above). Return to oven and bake an additional five or six minutes...
9. Let cool slightly, and then enjoy...

"Definitely can not get enough of that deliciously sweet dough"

Notes:
1. You can make all sorts of other filling types for meat filled, cuban sandwich style (which I've done) and any and all sorts of other interesting ideas-be creative and have fun with it...