From the creative minds of CulinaryCompetitor comes another wonderful meal idea for the endurance athlete at heart.It’s light, healthy, packed with the carbs and proteins you’ll need pre and post training and easy to make. Enjoy!
Sandwiches are underrated, plain and simple, and I am talking about not only creativity, but also practicality, and nutrition. They can offer both carbohydrate and protein, are transportable and easy to eat, and barring any unnecessary slathering of spreads and sauces, will usually be low in fat. They can also house as many fresh veggies as you can fit between two slices of bread. In sum, a sandwich is an ideal meal type for exercise nutrition.
Mmmm saaandwiiiiich
The problem with many sandwiches is that they are made as an afterthought, something you slap together on your way out the door then toss in a lunch box, only to be opened at a later, less than exciting time. When made in this way, there is only so much a sandwich can offer. Though if you take the time to plan, source good ingredients, and get a little bit creative, a sandwich can be the focus point of any good meal—dinner included. This sandwich is creative and as a bonus, has a ton of flavor. It is a play on the classic Cubano, though substitutes a sliced persimmon for the signature dill pickle.
Roasted Pork and Persimmon Panini
Pork
1 pork loin roast, fat trimmed
1 cup orange juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 sprigs cilantro (leaves and stem)
5 green onions
1 T white vinegar
salt and pepper
Sandwiches
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 persimmons, sliced about 1/8 inch
4 country French rolls, sliced lengthwise
1 package black forest ham
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
yellow mustard
light mayonaise
salt and pepper
To Start
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the orange juice and vinegar in a large heavy skillet or roasting pan. Add the pork roast, flipping to coat both sides with juice. Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper and pat with minced garlic. Distribute the cilantro and green onion in the pan around the pork. Roast for about an hour and a half, until cooked through.
Once cooked, remove from oven and slice thin.
Make the Sandwiches
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the sliced persimmon and season with salt and pepper. Cook about one minute and flip, cooking an additional minute. Once cooked, set aside.
Heat panini press. If you do not have a panini press, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat.
To build the sandwiches, spread mustard on both sides of each roll. From the top down layer: onion, cheese, ham, persimmon, pork.
Heat each sandwich in panini press or, if using a skillet, place in skillet and weigh down with a second skillet on top. Cook until cheese is melted and bread is just starting to brown.
Enjoy!
The sandwich itself contains both roasted pork loin and ham. Now I am a firm proponent of pork as “the other white meat,” but do not think all pork is created equal. Despite its somewhat tainted reputation, primarily from bacon, pork is often very lean and quite tasty. Pork loin is particularly lean and takes well to all different methods of cooking. In this case it is kind of a combination of roasting and braising, although the liquid is more for flavor and to help keep the meat moist.
The same rules apply for ham. Most cold-cut ham is very lean, but keep in mind that because it is pre-packaged, it often contains a lot of sodium.
Persimmons are a very seasonal fruit, and we are coming to the end of that season, so get them while you can. You can find them at most farmer’s markets and also many supermarkets. They have a subtle sweet flavor that goes nice with pork. Like many other orange fruits and vegetables they are a great source of vitamin A. They also contain a fair amount of vitamin C, and plenty of fiber. The two most popular varieties of persimmon, and the ones you will likely encounter in the States, are the short and stout Fuyu, and the acorn shaped Hachiya. Though both are great fruit, the Fuyu is the one you want for this sandwich as the Hachiya can only be used when it is extremely ripe and is best suited for baking. You can read more on persimmons in the ingredients section of CulinaryCompetitor.
I prefer to keep it simple and spread my sandwich with yellow mustard and mayonnaise, but feel free to get creative. And because this is a fairly hearty sandwich, I recommend serving it along side a salad, or any other fresh vegetable.
Enjoy!