Cuban-esque Panini

Place the pork chops flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice thin, wide strips off of the main chop. Make your slices across the grain and keep going until the entire pork chop is sliced thinly. Place in a bowl and mix with the ½ teaspoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and ½ teaspoon of the dijon.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the pork in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other slice until cooked through - about 1 minute longer. Remove to a plate.

Slice the shallot into thin rings. Slice the pickles into rounds, if needed. Slice or grate your cheese, if needed.

Meanwhile, start assembling your paninis. Open the rolls and spread the mayo evenly on one side; the remaining dijon on the other side. Top with sliced ham, the slices of cheese, rings of shallot if using, and the pickles. Top with the cooked pork chop slices and place the top piece of bread on.

If you have a panini press, use it!

If not, wipe out the large sauté pan you used for the pork and return to the stovetop - it doesn’t have to be fully cleaned. Melt ½ of the butter in the sauté pan and add the sandwiches, swirling them around to the get the bottoms of the bread to absorb the butter. Place a weight on the sandwiches to press them firmly into the pan. For this, another heavy pan works well, as does a smaller casserole dish, or even a dinner plate with a few cookbooks on top.

Sear for about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove the weight and carefully flip the sandwiches. Add the remaining butter to the pan and swirl the bread so the bottom piece picks up the butter. Replace the weight and cook for another 3 - 5 minutes or until the bread is well toasted and golden brown and the cheese is melted.

During this time if it’s browning too quickly, flip the sandwiches sooner or turn down the heat.

Remove from the pan and slice in ½ on an angle. Serve with fruit, chips, or a side salad.