cjs's B'day Dinner Review - Issue #81 - Printable Version +- Cuisine at home Forums (https://forums.cuisineathome.com) +-- Thread: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - Issue #81 (/showthread.php?tid=101283)

cjs's B'day Dinner Review - Issue #81 - cjs - 05-31-2010 Edited to add the Issue - and menu: Issue #81 Cubano-Style Burgers and Double-Fried Tostones We’re giving this one a 9! The flavors were so good - not one element we didn't like and all the elements together, oh my so good! I had a 1 1/2 lb. Pork sirloin chunk, so ground that up and mixed with our Laura’s Grandma Behrendt’s Gourmet Seasoned Pepper (1 1/2 tsps.). Added just a nice kick to the pattie. I split the mustard/relish batch in half using sweet pickle relish in one half and dill pickle relish in the other half – I loved mine and Roy liked his also. In fact tasting them both, I think I could have used either. Next night, we had leftovers except no bun – I laid the patties over a bed of refried beans and just once fried plantains – again, getting all the flavors together, it was so tasty. Because of the 1 1/2 lbs. of pork, I now have two more patties plus the ham and more Swiss slices in the trailer freezer and if Gert stays out of it, we have a dinner for the next road trip!! Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - luvnit - 05-31-2010 Lookin' real good Jean! I can't wait to have this tonight! I am going to make the tostone dip that Cubangirl suggested on the other thread about this. Mojito Dip (for tostones) Makes 1 cup 1/3 cup olive oil 6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced 1/3 cuplime juice 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted. Don't let it brown or it will be acrid tasting, just about 30 seconds should do it. Add the lemon and lime juices, cumin and salt and pepper. STAND BACK; the sauce may sputter. Bring to a rolling boil. Taste and correct seasoning, if needed Cool before serving. Mojo is best when served within a couple of hours of making, but it will keep for several days, well capped in a jar or bottle, in the refrigerator. Use with Cuban sandwiches, boiled yucca, grilled seafood and meats, fried green plantain chips, etc. Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - cjs - 05-31-2010 I'm glad she didn't post that before I made the review dinner. I'll try it the next time - I'm glad I went with it as written - authenic or not. Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - Harborwitch - 05-31-2010 That looks sooooooo good. We've got to run to town today - some pork and plantains will be on the grocery list. This looks right up our alley. Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - luvnit - 05-31-2010 Good to know Jean. I like fusion cuisine anyway. But I do want to try that dip. It looks really great! Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - labradors - 05-31-2010 This simple, "burgerised" version of a Cuban Sandwich was actually VERY tasty. Of course, I have some notes: Usually, I don't like cucumbers or pickles in any form, but there are a few exceptions, and Cuban Sandwiches happen to be among them, so I decided NOT to omit the relish from this recipe. That was the right decision. Dill relish was not available here, and the smallest jar of dill pickles available was just too big and too much money to warrant getting it for this recipe, so I used Heinz sweet relish, instead. Again: the right decision. I did use the ground pork and not the turkey. Most of the "deli-sliced ham" around here is not very good, with two notable exceptions. The one I used - Jamón Cubano - is one of only two (the other is a Canadian Bacon) that is not some kind of ground-and-pressed product. The store where I get the ground pork doesn't have "Swiss" cheese, but DOES have Emmentaler (which is the REAL Swiss cheese, anyway), so I got that. Couldn't get any "onion hamburger buns," but that same supermarket also has an excellent in-store bakery which had what they called "French rolls" that were actually very good Kaiser rolls. So, the burgers were fantastic, although I wonder how they would be if you added garlic, oregano, thyme, cumin, onions, sour orange juice and rum to the ground pork before forming the burgers. Tostones usually aren't my thing, since they can be pretty dry, at times, but these were great! Typical tostones are pressed into a single mass using a tostone press, not individually pounded with a meat mallet. THESE tostones wound up almost like tajadas (which I prefer, anyway), which are not pounded, but are sliced more thinly in the first place. So, in the end, I would give the burgers and the tostones 10 each! Great choice, Jean! Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - luvnit - 05-31-2010 Wow! This was really good. My hubby and I really liked and REALLY like the sauce that Cubangirl posted. Wow that sauce was good on everything. The plantains, the sandwich. My son said the sauce was AMAZING and literally dipped his fingers in and lapped it up! It was really good. No onions buns at the store! Oh well, they were still great! Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - cjs - 05-31-2010 I think it was a good choice also!! A 10 from Labs.....wow, that's good. Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - Cubangirl - 05-31-2010 I would guess that dry tostones have more to do with overcooking the bananas the first time than how they are pressed. You cook them the first time just until soft enough to smash, because if the plantains are really green, they would burn before they were cooked if thick, and you could not smoosh them down, the plantains are that hard.They should have a crispy border and a moist center, the combo is what makes them great. I use both the tostonera and the heal of my hand and can get them to look the same. The mojito adds a little moisture to the crispy edges. I have some ripe plantains to make now, but will try to take pictures next time I find truly green ones to make tostones. Are your tajadas like fat wedge type french fries? BTW, for those of you that can get truly green plantains, if you have a 1mm disc for the Cuisinart or a really thin mandoline, try homemade plantain chips (try malanga too, also known as taro or yautia) as well. They are so good, I prefer either to potato chips. I am so glad you all like the mojito. My family loves it as well. Re: cjs's B'day Dinner Review - foodfiend - 05-31-2010 I knew that I shouldn't have looked at this thread.... we just got back from visiting MIL at the hospital and the grill is heating up for a couple of frozen turkey burgers. It'll be a considerable disappointment now, I'm sure!