Cuban Butterfly Pork Chops a.k.a. Bun-less Cuban Sandwiches

If "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" then Chris of NibbleMeThis should be flat as a pancake.  I think this is AT LEAST the third time that I have read his blog, then pirated some attempt at repeating his recipe/cook.  Now, I do need to qualify a few things that distinguish the two of us.  First, I take pictures on the fly...I don't use ANY special lighting and recently I put away my $1200 Nikon and even started using a smart phone camera.  So for me, it's ALL about the cook and the taste.  I even quit worrying about presentation. 

I like to prep, cook, eat, clean up and move on.  Chris goes all in...all the time.  But hey, we're Internet Grillin' friends so whats a few stolen recipes between those who've never really met? LOL.

The plating looks a little boring but the meal was spot - on !

For tonight's meal I have prepared what I am going to call Grilled Pork Cuban Butterflies and Seasoned Pee-Wee potatoes.  This is my attempt to get 'close' to what Chris posted (Bobby Flays Cuban style butterfly pork chops and Papas Asadas - Easy Cuban Roasted Potatoes. 

Truth be known, my version is, if you compare them, very obviously prepared using the AHCD/OCD grilling methodology.  In fact, I may rename my (forever pending) recipe/cookbook, AHCD/OCD grilling.  I tossed out the potato preparation and all the ingredients from Chris's potatoes and also from Flay's original pork chop recipe and went with Pee-Wee potatoes (no cutting required) and Mojo (I didn't have all those spices in Flay's list anyway). 

This makes preparation a snap, you get 'similar' results and you get some options on how to take a great recipe and make is average, LOL.  Besides, it gets dark early and I haven't fixed all my lighting issues on the porch yet so we'll eat and run to the movies.

 

Ingredients for the Grilled Cuban Butterfly Pork chops

• 6 - Butterflied Pork Chops (approx. 6 ounces each)
• 1 - Bottle, Mojo (eliminates the entire list on Flay's ingredients) 
• Suggested additional 'fixins'"
• Mustard
• Honey Ham (deli sliced)
• Baby Swiss Cheese (deli sliced)
• Tomato slices (TOTALLY optional and non-traditional)
• NO BUNS or CUBAN ROLLS required!

Potato ingredients

• 1  - 3 Lb. Bag - Yellow Pee-Wee Potatoes, rinsed (use the quantity you need to feed your guests, 3 Lb. might be on the high end for feeding 6).
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Black Pepper
• Pink Himalayan Salt
• Dried Roasted Garlic

Pork Directions
1. Place chops in a 9 x 13 roaster and soak in Mojo, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. Remove 45 minutes prior to cooking and drain off marinade.  Cover in plastic wrap again and let come to near room temperature while the grill gets hot.
3. Prepare the chops by layering your favorite ingredients then fold.  You might need to stick a toothpick in them to keep them 'folded.'
4. Fire up (in this case I used my Rosle Kettle grill) and Kingsford Charcoal and place on hot grid and sear grill marks into each side.
5. Raise grid or place a grill basked on the grid (the idea is to raise the pork chops further from the heat so the pork can finish without demolishing the cheese and condiments. Optional:  Use a grilling surface like a Emile Henry Baking Stone for final cooking cycle instead of raising the grid or messing with temperature controls.
6. Cook to temp and remove to rest for 3-5 minutes and serve.

Finished Marinating

 

Layered on Honey Ham, Home Canned Dill Pickle Slices and Baby Mozzarella

 All Wrapped up and ready for the Grill (that's a Emile Henry Small Baking Stone)

 

 

Potato Directions

1. Rinse potatoes and pat dry and dump into a gallon freezer bag.
2. Add spices (to taste but using those recommended above)...it will NOT take much.

All spiced up for the oven (I hate cooking anything indoors!)

3. Set aside or refrigerate depending on how soon you will cook.
4. If you are going to use the oven (sacrilegious at our house) cook on a cookie sheet at 350-375 F until tender. If you cook on the grill, use a grill rack and roast until tender, rotating constantly to avoid burning.

Note:  The potatoes will take 20 minutes minimum....prepare them BEFORE you start the pork chops because those will cook in under 10 minutes. 

KEEP ON EGGIN' my Friends!

More information than you will ever want to know about the Cuban Sandwich paraphrased from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (so you gotta know this is suspect information LOL).

 

The Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Cuba and in the early Cuban immigrant communities of Florida: Key West and Ybor City, Tampa. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami  where it is also still very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami (the Italian influence) on Cuban bread. ^{FUN FACT!!!!} In April 2012, the "Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich" was designated as the "signature sandwich of the city of Tampa" by Tampa's city council.

 

While there is some debate as to the contents of a "true" Cuban sandwich, most are generally agreed upon. The traditional Cuban sandwich starts with Cuban bread. The loaf is sliced into lengths of 8-12 inches (20–30 cm), lightly buttered or brushed with olive oil on the crust, and cut in half horizontally. A coat of yellow mustard is spread on the bread. Then roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly-sliced dill pickles are added in layers. Sometimes the pork is marinated in mojo and slow roasted.  The main regional disagreement about the sandwich’s recipe is whether or not to include salami.

Cuban Paella (organic)

This recipe is a variation on a traditional Spanish Paella with lots of spice, pork and shrimp combined to make this a wonder one-dish meal. Personally I rate this as the most flavorful and best cook in my history of cooks on the egg...ironically my wife 'didn't care for it.!' Look on COMO Craig's list for her trade-in listing tomorrow, Ha.

Ingredients  ¼ Cup Paprika  ¼ Cup lime juice
 3 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 Tbls. Spiced Rum  4 Tbls. Minced Garlic, divided  2 Tsp. Fresh Oregano, chopped (sub dry ground if not in season)
 1 Tsp. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt  1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Peppercorns
 ½ Tsp. Ground Cumin  1 ½ Lbs. Boneless Pork Chops trimmed, cut into ¾ - 1” cubes (Organic)  2 Cups Sweet Onion, chopped
 2 Cups Whole-grain Brown Rice  28-32 Oz. Low-sodium Chicken Broth
 1 – 14 Oz. Can, Diced Tomatoes  2 Tbls. Capers, rinsed
 1/4 Tsp. Saffron threads  16 large Raw Shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined, (tails off optional)  2 Cups Artichoke Hearts (cooked or canned)  1 Cup Roasted Red peppers, cut into strips
Note: You can use fresh peppers but they must to into the cook earlier than listed below
Directions - 1. Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 Tbls. oil, rum (if using), 2 Tsp. Minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a homogeneous paste. Add pork and stir to coat.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in an Emile Henry Flame Top Brazier (or sub Stew Pot) over medium to high heat. Add the pork, leaving any excess spice mixture in the bowl to add later. Cook the pork, stirring, until just cooked on the outside and the spices are very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.
3. Add onion and the remaining 2 Tbls. Garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until well coated with the onion mixture. Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, saffron, peppers (if not roasted) and any remaining spice mixture. (If using brown rice, also add 3/4 Cup water now.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally (30 minutes for brown rice).
4. Remove grid and insert Plate setter (indirect) and stabilize dome temp to 350°F (plate setter legs up or down depending on the size of your Egg and Brazier or Dutch Oven.
5. Stir shrimp (if using) and artichokes (or green beans) into the rice. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Stir in the pork and any accumulated juices from the plate; scatter roasted peppers on top. Cover and continue baking until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (if you’ve added shrimp, they should be opaque/pink), 10 to 15 minutes.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TWO PAGE RECIPE WITH PICTURES IN WORD FORMAT.

Legacy Beef Tenderloin MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH!

Cookin' for One:
Cooking on a Large Big Green Egg for one is not tough, but it does seem like a little overkill, especially in the Lump Charcoal department. However after 3 months without having ANY BGE I just need to shut up and COOK! Maybe there is a mini BGE in my future???? If Santa is listenihng.

Tonights Dinner:
After a day of reading stuff for work, a quick trip to the Earth Day festival downtown and two naps, count them TWO naps, I thought I should get busy and think about supper. Tonight I cooked up some fresh asparagus (organic) and a .3 oz Beef Tenderloin from Missouri Legacy Beef I picked up at the Farmers Market here in Columbia Saturday morning. After first arriving and seeing the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign I almost turned around (I had both my dogs with me). After walking them around for a half hour I put them in the car and jogged to the market to get a steak, a cherry pie and the asparagus (and yes, it was cool and the windows were down about 6 inches).

Preparation and cooking:

1. Bring Tenderloin to Room Temperature and rub on BAD BYRON's BUTT RUB...let marinate while you fire up the Big Green Egg and bring it up to T Rex temperatures.

2. Washed up the asparagus, trimmed the butt ends and sprayed the bamboo steamer with olive oil (keeps bamboo from taking on the smell of the food you cook).
3. Sprayed the asparagus and coated it with garlic and parsley (ground).
4. Fired up the egg and brought three (3) cups of water to a boil and placed the steamer on the wok for 15 minutes.
5. Wrapped my twice baked potato (store bought and NOT organic, ha) in foil and placed it on the second layer of the bamboo steamer.
6. Removed the steamer and seared the Tenderloin on both sides (about 1 minute and 30 seconds a side) and removed it for 10 minutes.
7. Finished the steaming of the asparagus for another 10 minutes then plopped the tenderloin back on the t rex hot grill for 2 minutes a side and DONE!

KEEP ON EGGIN'

Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops on the Big Green Egg

Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops
Serves 2 or more, depending on the meat selection you make. This recipes marinade is good for Chops or tenderloins (whole) or medallions.

Ingredients
 2 Pork Chops – MINIMUM of 1.25” (or substitute whole tenderloins or tenderloins cut into ½” medallions)
 1 Cup EVOO
 ¼ Cup Basil (chopped fresh if you have it)
 ½ Cup Parsley (chopped fresh if you have it)
 5 Large Garlic Cloves (minced)
 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar (to taste and size of meat portions)

Preparation1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over Chops in a shallow square pan or substitute a 1 gallon freezer bag and mix/shake.
2. Place in refrigerator for 4 hours minimum and turn occasionally.
3. Remove chops from marinade and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (discard remaining marinade).
4. While the chops are coming up to room temperature fire up the Big Green Egg and bring to a stabilized temperature of about 350 degrees.
5. Place chops directly on the grill for approximately 6 minutes per side (lid down and no peeking).
6. When internal temperature reaches 150 degrees remove from grill and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.