I was hooked on this concept the first second I gazed upon the glam photo. And the more I read, the more I wanted one NOW. But the lasting impression from this recipe/post discovery is, new ways can honour the traditional!
The House Adobo Jibarito: A Steak, Lettuce and Tomato sammy with Fried Plantains for bookends…
This recipe has so many facets and angles, it constitutes a master class in Alt-Sandwich Philosophy. I can’t count the teachable moments I identified on my way through the process. And I think it’s only fair to class this ‘build’ as a project, not just a dish…
Much ado about everything…
Recipe contributor Roscoe Hall describes the Jibarito in a style I thought was unique to luxury car sales ‘consultants’: “Thinly sliced adobo-marinated rib eye, crisp twice-fried plantains, and garlic confit mayo come together in this Chicago-inspired sandwich that balances meaty richness and crunch.”
“Now,” I said, after reading that… “It had better live up to the hype!”
Critical sub-assemblies…
Like any fine automobile, the Jibarito relies on several essential subsystems: the right steak, the right spice blend, the right marinade, the right ‘bread’, and the right condiment. I’ll confess, upfront, that I first considered devoting a separate post to each of Hall’s focal points. But,in the end, I decided they should all be presented together, under the sumptuous umbrella of his ultimate Jibarito.
The Steak
Gotta be Ribeye. Little brother to Filet Mignon, this classy, classic cut is regarded by beeficionados as THE steak for flavour and tenderness.
TheAdobo
The ‘nuevo Adobo’ flavour blend includes: Paprika, coriander, garlic, onion, oregano and turmeric. Note: There is no chili pepper, as such, in this mix!
The Marinade
The marinade is probably not what you were expecting, either. But it’s just as nuevo as the Adobo: Lime, orange, onion and green bell pepper.
The ‘Bread’
The bread isn’t really bread, at all. It’s slabs of totally crunch-ified fried green plantain. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. And after trying it, you won’t.
The Condiment
A perfect choice for this omnibus creation… A super-simple, two-ingredient garlic confit. The secret’s in the technique…
Don’t sweat the small stuff
The details of how to put together the foregoing critical components are covered brilliantly by Hall in his lengthy post. In fact, it’s in his detailed comments on each ingredient and component that the Master Class’ tune really sings!
Some assembly required
All the guidance you need to put together your Adobo Jibaritos can be gleaned from the featured photo, above. But you can vary the stacking order to suit your needs and preferences without affect-ing the overall ‘experience’ of the sandwich…
One thing you may have noticed in the photo… There appear to be pickle slices stacked-in up toward the top of the order. Hall doesn’t mention that even once in his omnibus treatise. But if you do want to use them, I strongly recommend thin slices of sweet bread-and-butter pickles…
Now… Go forth and Jibarito!
~ Maggie J.