Okay, so I know that there is nothing really special about a sandwich; most times. This is something that I really felt was blog-worthy. If you’ve had a cuban and/or a monte cristo, then you will understand this hybrid. A cuban, with it’s pickles, pork, and turkey, is a pressed, toasted, hunk of goodness. A monte cristo is essentially a ham sandwich that is dipped in batter and then deep fried. It can vary from place to place, but that is the gist.

This sandwich caught my eye on the cover of the March Gourmet magazine. I grabbed a large French Boule from Whole Paychex and decided to fix this up for a nice Saturday lunch. I could barely finish it; I made them so huge! I’ll tell you what, in all its simplicity, it is the garlic mayonnaise that really adds the depth of flavor to this sandwich. It is such a subtle thing, but it really makes the sandwich. Trust me, you’ll like this.

Here’s how I put it together:

Start with some good bread. You don’t want too thick or too thin because the sandwich will be dipped in egg and we you don’t want soggy. Spread some coarse spicy mustard on one slice and top with pickles.

Then top with good smoked ham and turkey.

Add slices of swiss cheese.

To make the garlic mayonnaise, mince two cloves af garlic. Then sprinkle the garlic with some good salt. Use a chef’s knife to mash the garlic into a paste. Mix that with the mayonnaise and spread onto the other slice of bread. Soak the sandwich in egg; both sides please.

Heat up a griddle over medium heat and butter it all over. Add the sandwich and cook for about 4 minutes per side, just until browned and toasted.

Or make two…

Slice and enjoy the melty, toasty, goodness.

Recipe follows:

Follow up:

Monte Cubano

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices Bread
1 - 2 teaspoons mustard
dill pickles
smoked deli ham
smoked deli turkey
swiss cheese
1 - 2 cloves garlic
mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter

METHOD:

1. Spread 1 slice of bread with mustard and top with pickles, meats, and cheese. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then mix with mayonnaise. Spread on remaining slice of bread and assemble sandwich.

2. Beat together egg, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then soak sandwich in egg mixture.

3. Melt butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook sandwich, uncovered, until underside is well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook remaining side, covered, until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute.