Have you ever made a muffuletta? Do you know what a muffuletta is?
No, this has not suddenly morphed into the knitting column. A muffuletta is a big, multi-serving sandwich that originated in New Orleans.
Along with the more prosaically named Cuban sandwich and the “pan bagnat” of France, a muffuletta is a loaf-size sandwich that is perfect for a picnic or casual dinner, or to take along to eat on an airplane.
The muffuletta of New Orleans is said to have been created in 1906 by Lupo Salvadore, the owner of Central Grocery, which is still in business. The name may have come from the name of the baker who made the original round loaves. Its signature ingredient is “olive salad,” a mixture of olives and other condiments that is also delicious on pizza or mixed salads.
The origins of the Cuban sandwich are more obscure. Both Miami and Tampa, with large Cuban-American populations, claim their version is the authentic one. It also requires a specific type of bread, which we can attempt to replicate here with non-baguette, non-sour French bread. The Cuban sandwich combines meats and cheeses and is warmed and pressed in a panini maker.
Pan bagnat is a traditional preparation in Nice, France, so traditional that you can even join a society for the protection of the true pan bagnat (the Web site is www.pan-bagnat.com.) “Pan bagnat” is the dialect of Nice and literally means “bathed bread,” the bathing in this case being done in olive oil.
While authentic breads can be ordered online (see below), a round French loaf will do the trick for muffuletta and pan bagnat. It should not be sourdough for this purpose, and if you can find one with sesame seeds for the muffuletta, it’s all the more authentic.
For the Cuban sandwich, a long, wide loaf of French bread – again, not sourdough – is a close approximation. The authentic Cuban loaf is started in a cold oven, giving the crust a different texture.
All of these sandwiches should be eaten with plenty of napkins handy.
Muffuletta
adapted from www.gumbopages.com
Makes two to four servings
Besides the bread, the distinctive ingredient in muffuletta is olive salad, recipe included below.
1 round loaf Italian bread
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound Provolone cheese, sliced
1 cup olive salad with oil
Step 1: Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally, and hollow out some of the crumb and reserve for another use.
Step 2: Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half, and cover with top half of bread. Cut in quarters.
Olive Salad
The olive salad should be prepared the day before you want to use it. It will keep for a week or longer in the refrigerator.
2/3 cup pitted and coarsely chopped green olives
2/3 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped pimiento
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 anchovy fillet, mashed
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban sandwich is best when heated and pressed on a panini press, pancake griddle or skillet. If you don’t have a hinged press, you can use a flat pan and weight the sandwiches with another heavy pan or pan with a brick in it. It is also delicious cold and unpressed.
Cuban or French bread
Butter, softened
1 pound ham sliced (Use a good quality ham.)
1 pound lechón asado (roasted Cuban pork) sliced (recipe follows)
1/2 pound mild Swiss cheese, sliced
Sliced dill pickles (dill “Sandwich Stackers” work great)
Yellow mustard (optional)
Mayonnaise (This ingredient is not in most recipes, but I seem to remember eating Cuban sandwiches with mayonnaise.)
Step 1: Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan to medium.
Step 2: Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half, and spread butter on both halves (inside).
Step 3: Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham and cheese. Be generous!
Step 4: Place the sandwich on the hot griddle lightly greased. Press the sandwich with the top of the panini maker or other pan. You want to compress the sandwich to about one-third its original size. Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not too hot, or the crust will burn before the cheese melts.
Step 5: Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
Roast Pork for Cuban Sandwiches
The sour orange in this recipe is another distinctive aspect of the true Cuban sandwich.
2 pounds boneless center pork loin roast
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup sour orange juice
(If you can’t get sour oranges in your area, try equal parts orange and grapefruit or two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime.)
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
Step 1: Mash the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin on a cutting board. Add dried oregano, onion and the sour orange to the mash, and mix thoroughly.
Step 2: Heat oil in small sauce pan, add the mash to the oil and whisk.
Step 3: Pierce pork roast as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork. Pour garlic mixture (save a little for roasting) over pork, cover and let sit in refrigerator for two to three hours.
Step 4: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 5: Using a suitable roasting pan or rack, sprinkle remaining marinade over pork and cook uncovered until completely cooked (160 degrees), about 20 minutes per pound. Baste occasionally.
Step 6: Bring pan juices to a boil and simmer until the juice is reduced by half. Sprinkle some juice onto the pork when you put it in the sandwich.
Pan Bagnat
translated from www.pan-bagnat.com
1 round French loaf
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 sweet green pepper, sliced
3 or 4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or other Mediterranean olives
anchovies or tuna (preferably tuna packed in olive oil)
olive oil
fresh basil
salt and pepper
Optional: hard-cooked egg slices, vinegar, radishes.
Step 1: Sliced the bread and sprinkle or brush it with the olive oil.
Step 2: Arrange the other ingredients on one half and top with the other half.
Elizabeth Gage is a writer who lives in Hollister. She can be reached at ee******@ya***.com.
