"Southern Style" Crispy Pork Belly Cubano Sandwich with Ham, Smoked Swiss, Homemade Garlic Aioli, + Green Tomato Pickles on Grilled Bread

"Southern Style" Crispy Pork Belly Cubano Sandwich with Ham, Smoked Swiss,
Homemade Garlic Aioli, + Green Tomato Pickles on Grilled Bread

Raise your hand if you love Cuban Sandwiches! I'm raising my hand, and y'all should be too. They damn good delicious. Why are they so mouth watering-ly "cravable", you ask. Well, they have two kinds of pork products... typically ham and roast pork. I made it a tad bit gourmet by adding crispy pork belly because pork belly is the leader of all porky products. Add in some smoked swiss cheese, sweet + tangy green tomato pickles (god love the south), mustard, and a homemade garlic aioli. You load all of the goodness onto a cuban baguette that has be schmeared with lots 'o butter and grill it until crispy and the cheese is oozy. I love that the crispy pork belly gives the sandwich some bites of almost fried pork rind puffiness... chicharrones anyone? I know most of y'all don't live in the South and might not be able to find green tomato pickles. That's okay. You can make your own at home, like we do, or just buy some regular 'ole pickles at the store. And as for the smoked swiss, which can be difficult to find, that can be substituted for just aged swiss instead. OH HEY, and don't forget to go heavy on the mustard and mayo, y'all!! Enjoy :)

For the Homemade Garlic Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

1 Head of Roasted Garlic, Cooled & Garlic Pulp Only

½t Garlic Salt

¾C Canola Oil

For the Crispy Pork Belly Cubano Sandwiches:

1 Baguette of French Bread, Sliced Lengthwise

Yellow Mustard & Homemade Garlic Aioli, For Spreading

Cubes of Crispy Pork Belly

Thinly Sliced Black Forrest Ham

Slices of Aged or Smoked Swiss Cheese

Green Tomato Pickle Slices

Softened Butter, For Grilling

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Garlic Aioli: Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, roasted garlic pulp, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

2. For the Crispy Pork Belly Cubano Sandwiches: Slice open the baguette bread down the middle. On the topside of the bread spread on some mustard and on the other side spread on some garlic aioli, evenly across. And then place 4 green tomato pickles on top of the mustard. You then place some sliced of Swiss cheese on top of the pickles, followed by the sliced ham and crispy pork belly. You then join both halves of the sandwich. You are now ready to grill your Cuban sandwich.

3. Grilling the Sandwich: Use a sandwich grill if you have one, a waffle iron if not. Spread butter on top of the bread evenly. Close the grill, smashing the sandwich. Leave sandwich in the grill until top of bread turns to a golden brown, and top is crisp. Approximate time is 4 to 6 minutes. After the sandwich is crispy and the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich carefully and slice it diagonally, from corner to corner.

Homemade "Wrecked Junction" Hot Sauce

Homemade "Wrecked Junction" Hot Sauce or Spicy Green Tomato-Serrano Hot Sauce

I have never ventured into making my own homemade hot sauces... yet. But, I'm so glad I decided to give it a go because this stuff is kick-ya-in-tha-face delicious. Getting kicked in the face is obviously a positive thing here, even though you wouldn't normally think so. This hot sauce gets your stomach wrecked because of its extra-spicy component of serrano peppers. No worries though, it is all mellowed out through the work of some nifty green tomatoes, shallots, and honey. I personally liked that this hot sauce had some "body" to it after it was pureed in the food processor. But, if you want to go for the "classic" hot sauce texture, you could easily pass it through a strainer or a cheesecloth. It's really up to you! We served this spicy companion with some super devilish chicken fried chicken skins, but I'm tellin' ya, it is AMAZING with some southern fried chicken or even as a dip with some tortilla chips. I'm lovin' how versatile this recipe is and will use it over + over in the future!! Enjoy :)

For the Hot Sauce:

½lb Firm Green Tomatoes, Cut into Slices (this was about 3 large tomatoes for me)

4 Large Shallots, Cut into Slices

½lb Fresh Serranos

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

2 Large Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Minced

1C Cider Vinegar + 1C White Vinegar

1C Honey (or to taste)

1 Lime, Zested

1T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

Directions:

1. Roasting the Vegetables: Preheat the oven to broil or 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat and spread the slices of green tomatoes and shallots evenly on the pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt& pepper. Cook them until they are softened and starting to char slightly, about 7-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Scrape the cooked tomatoes and shallots into a food processor. Next, add on the fresh Serranos and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook the peppers until blackened and charred, about 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool, and then peel off the skins and place them into the food processor along with the tomatoes and shallots.

2. Making the Hot Sauce: Add the minced garlic into the food processor and pulse until the mixture is pureed, but still has a slightly chunky consistency. Blend or whisk in the vinegars, honey, lime zest, and fresh cilantro. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar or honey. Pour into jars and preserve.

3. Serve with chicken fried chicken skins or your favorite fried chicken recipe!

Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomato Napoleon with Candied Bacon, Brussel Sprouts Salad, & Boursin Cheese, Drizzled with Homemade Pepper Jelly + Balsamic Reduction

Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomato Napoleon with Candied Bacon, Brussel Sprouts Salad,

& Boursin Cheese, Drizzled with Homemade Pepper Jelly + Balsamic Reduction

Yeah, I know what you're thinking... why does this girl continually post recipes that have titles as long as paragraphs. I'm sorry, I apologize, but I guess it's my thing. I want all of y'all to know, up front, what the dish is. Yes it can be overly descriptive and unnecessary, but whatever, it's necessary (minus the -un). This "salad" is so completely decadent that it is not even allowed to be called a salad. So, in my book, it's now a stack or a napoleon. I got some pickled green tomato slices and coated them with some goat cheese, and then crusted them in panko breadcrumbs... then they went straight into the skillet to get extra crispy. During that time I made some candied bacon and my favorite brussels sprouts slaw to put in between the fried green tomatoes. Because one creamy cheese isn't enough, I sprinkled some boursin cheese on the napoleon layers... we gotta do it up big here, y'all. I had also made some homemade pepper jelly a while back, and I love fried green tomatoes with the spicy, sweet jelly so I drizzled that around the plate, along with a balsamic reduction for acidity. There are so many components, yet they all fit together in such harmony. And I know there are a couple of you na'sayer's out there, not believing that I would have all of these ingredients just laying around... BUT, I did. This was literally a last minute dinner, roughly made at 8:30PM, for my Mountain Man who was starving. I don't know if that means I just have a well-stocked fridge or if I am just good with what I got... well, maybe a little bit of both (deal?). Who knew that you could make a dish that's so gourmet and delicious with stuff just lying around in the kitchen? I think I'm onto something here... maybe I need to do this once a week, just to challenge myself. I definitely think so!! Enjoy :)

Ain't nothin' wrong about that, y'all. 

For the Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes:

4 Slices of Pickled Green Tomatoes, Dried of Excess Moisture (we used a paper towel)

4oz Goat Cheese, Cut into 1oz Slices

1C AP Flour

1 Egg + ½C Buttermilk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Napoleon Stacks:

Prepared Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes, Hot & Crispy

Slices of Candied Bacon

Homemade Shaved Brussel Sprout Slaw

Crumbled Boursin Cheese

Homemade Pepper Jelly, For Drizzling

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. To Make the Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes: Remove the pickled green tomato slices from their jar and place the slices on a paper towel. Let the tomatoes drain for 15-30 minutes. After they have drained, dry the tomatoes a little more with some paper towels, removing any excess moisture. Pinch off or cut off about 1oz of softened goat cheese, and then using your hands, pat the cheese to form a disc roughly the same size as the tomatoes (just work with the cheese until it is pliable enough to make the compact shape). Then, press the cheese into one side of the green tomato... you want to make sure that it is completely adhered to the tomato, so the two will remain together throughout the breading process (there is no right or wrong way to do this, just kind of play around with it in your hands until the cheese has filled in the gaps in the green tomato).  Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I used plain flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. For the third station, I used Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the slices of dried green tomato pickles into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices onto a plate and then put it into the refrigerator and let the slices rest & chill for about 15-30 minutes (this helps the cheese to get firm again, ensuring that the cheese won't leak out of the breading during frying).
2. Frying the Tomatoes:Heat your deep sauté pan to medium heat with vegetable oil. Once the oil has heated, pull the chilled slices out of the refrigerator. Fry the slices for 2-3 minutes each (depending on the size of your fryer, mine is pretty small, so I do 2 at a time). The green tomatoes should be golden brown on the outside, but cooked, yet still firm on the inside (with no goat cheese seeping out of the crust, so don’t overcook them). Once they are done frying, place them onto a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle them with salt & pepper immediately. Once all of the tomatoes are fried, you can begin stacking your napoleon.

3. Assembling the Napoleon: Place a slice of a fried green tomato pickle onto the plate, and then begin stacking with the candied bacon, brussel sprout slaw, and crumbled Boursin cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until the napoleon stack has been finished. Garnish the stack with a drizzle of homemade pepper jelly and balsamic drizzle.

Stacked Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad with Candied Bacon & Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Before I get to the salad that I made as a part of my Mountain Man's birthday dinner, I have to tell a story. There's a running joke in our family about my father and I. It all started with him, but he has graciously passed this gift down to me, so I can carry out the legacy. Anyways, throughout my father's life, he always had an incredible knack for putting himself in the oddest, craziest situations. They just kind of fall into his lap. For instance, one time, my dad was at the gas station, sitting in the passenger seat (while my mom was inside getting some snacks), and a random lady just jumps into the car with him and furiously drives off. My dad is sitting in the car, jaw to the floor, like "what just happened here, am I being kidnapped"... So, finally the woman notices that this was not her car, and that man sitting beside her is not her husband. She was so embarrassed that she drove him back to the gas station and insisted that she pay for his gas. This all occurred before my mom even returned to the car, so she still refuses to believe that this crazy thing that my father had told her, really happened. Okay, so now you have gotten the background info... fast-forward to my life. I am sitting in my apartment in downtown Savannah and I decide to go into my room to do something (I have now forgotten what I was actually doing in there, but that is really relevant). I'm all by myself, just minding my own business, my Mountain Man is at work, la-tee-dah. I suddenly hear the door open and close. I automatically think it's the boyfriend, so I finish what I'm doing and I finally start making my way towards the front door. But, I catch a quick glimpse into the living room through our bedroom door, and I see a woman sitting on my couch, feet up on the table, going through our saved DVR shows. Like NBD, just chillin' in a someone's apartment. At this point, I'm terrified because either this person is coming to rob me, or steal me, or she's just bat-shit crazy and wants to be my best friend. So, I knock on the bedroom door, in hopes of startling her, and she just calmly looks up at me and says "oh my god, I'm so sorry". That's it. She turns the TV off, grabs her purse, and walks out the door. I mean honestly this happened to me. And no one was here to witness it. I immediately called my dad because I knew only he would appreciate it. Of course no one believes me. But, I know that this crazy situation happened, and I still just can't get over it. Priceless. Anyway, back to the food. For my Mountain Man's birthday, I made a Stacked Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad with Candied Bacon & Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. This salad is inspired from the ever-popular Savannah restaurant, the Olde Pink House. It was actually featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and it is the only thing I order when we go. I mean, what's better than fried green tomatoes, candied bacon, and ranch? I refuse to believe anything is. This salad hits the spot and it's the perfect little opener for an awesome dinner!! Enjoy :)

Fried Green Tomatoes + Candied Bacon... Nothin' Better

Stacked Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad with Candied Bacon & Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

For the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

½C Buttermilk, Well Shaken

¼C Sour Cream

¼C Mayo

4T Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Large Shallot, Minced

1T Garlic, Minced

1T Sugar

4T Fresh Chives, Finely Minced

2T Fresh Dill, Finely Minced

1T Fresh Parsley, Finely Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Bacon:

8 Strips of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

2t Light Brown Sugar (per slice of bacon)

For the Fried Green Tomatoes:

2 Green Tomatoes, Cut into ½inch Thick Slices & Patted Dry

1Q Peanut Oil, For Frying

2C AP Flour

1T Paprika

1T Chili Powder

1T Cajun Seasoning

1T Salt

3 Eggs

½C Buttermilk

1T Hot Sauce

1 Box of Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling

For the BLT Salad:

Fried Green Tomatoes

Baby Spring Mix

Prepared Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Candied Bacon

Diced Red Bell Pepper & Minced Green Onions, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved, and then add in the chives. Whisk until smooth and refrigerate until ready to toss with the lettuce.

2. For the Candied Bacon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Sprinkle each slice of bacon with 2t of brown sugar. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway, flip the bacon over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until it is as dark as mahogany. Remove from the oven and cool the strips on a wire rack. Once the bacon is cool and crisp, chop into cubes.

3. For the Fried Green Tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes to about ½inch thick and place the slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Let the tomatoes drain for 15-30 minutes. After they have drained, dry the tomatoes a little more with some paper towels, removing any excess moisture. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour & the seasonings. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the slices of dried green tomato into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the slices rest for about 15-30 minutes. Heat your deep fryer to 375 degrees with the peanut oil. Once the oil has heated, pull the chilled slices out of the refrigerator. Fry the slices for 4-7 minutes each (depending on the size of your fryer, mine is pretty small, so I do 2 at a time). The green tomatoes should be golden brown on the outside, but cooked, yet still firm on the inside. Once they are done frying return them to the same baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt immediately. Keep warm until you are ready to layer them in the salad.

4. For the BLT Salad: Toss the baby spring mix greens with some of the buttermilk ranch dressing. Place some of the salad in the center of plate; top with some candied bacon slices, and then place a fried green tomato on top of the bacon. Repeat this pattern, so that you have a stacked and layered salad. Drizzle some more buttermilk ranch dressing over the top and garnish with red bell pepper and green onions.