(Family Features) For flavor fans, there is nearly no better combo than the complementary tastes in a Cubano sandwich. Complete with layers of roast pork, ham, soft swiss cheese, mustard and topped with tangy pickles, all the flavors and textures play in concert.

For an upgrade on the classic sandwich, try this version from Sammy Hagar, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who’s known for his riff on the iconic recipe. He takes his favorite sandwich to the next level by adding a smoky kick.

“The Cubano has everything I love in a sandwich: gooey melted cheese and a crispy, crunchy crust on the bread,” Hagar said. “It's great to be able to get all the flavors in each bite. It has pickles and mustard that cut through the rich cheese and pork. When you splash a little Tabasco on it, you get the last perfect ingredients – flavor and heat.”

Find his signature sandwich at Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill locations throughout the country, or try creating Sammy’s Cubano Sandwich at home with this recipe.

For more recipes, visit Tabasco.com/recipe.

Sammy’s Cubano Sandwich

Cook time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Mojo Marinade:

• 3/4       cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1          cup cilantro, minced
• 3/4       cup orange juice
• 1/2       cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 3          tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 1          tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
• 2          teaspoons cumin, ground
• kosher salt, to taste
• coarse black pepper, to taste

Sandwich:

• 3 1/2    pounds pork shoulder or boneless pork butt
• 2          teaspoons Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
• 3          tablespoons mayonnaise
• 6          pieces Cuban bread or baguette (6 inches each), cut lengthwise
• 8          ounces deli ham, thinly sliced
• 1/2       pound swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 24        dill pickle chips
• 4          tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1          cup unsalted butter
• 4          tablespoons reserved Mojo Marinade

1. To make Mojo Marinade: In bowl, whisk olive oil, cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper until incorporated. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve 4 tablespoons marinade in separate bowl, cover and set aside in refrigerator.
2. Place pork in large zip-top bag. Cover with Mojo Marinade and close bag. Place in roasting pan and refrigerate overnight.
3. Heat oven to 450° F.
4. Remove pork and marinade from bag and place in roasting pan. Cover with foil and cook in oven 45 minutes.
5. After 45 minutes, reduce heat to 375° F, remove foil and cook 2 hours until internal temperature reaches 175° F and pork is fork tender at thickest part.
6. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
7. In small bowl, mix chipotle sauce and mayonnaise until fully incorporated.
8. Spread mixture on bottom bread slice.
9. On top bread slice, place two slices deli ham, 3-4 ounces roasted pork, two slices swiss cheese, 4-6 pickles and yellow mustard.
10. Over medium-high heat, butter flat surface of griddle and add reserved Mojo Marinade while butter is melting.
11. Place assembled sandwiches on griddle, pressing grill weight or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches.

Source: Tabasco

(Family Features) When bringing your friends and family together to watch the game, you’ll likely want to avoid any fumbles in the kitchen. Fret not and opt for a big batch of easy-to-make wings while incorporating these stress-free tips into your game plan to help ensure a resounding success:  

• Delegate responsibilities. The best gatherings are a team sport. Tackle this recipe for Crispy Baked Wings and let your friends help with snacks, dips and drinks.

• Prep what you can the day before. Reduce the time needed to make these wings on game day by prepping some steps in advance. The seasoning blend and sauces can be prepped up to two days in advance and chicken wings can be separated into drums and flats the day before.

• Veggies are underrated. It’s usually a good plan to have a snack that can be easily replenished for grazers attending your party. Stock up on vegetables that are easy to slice such as carrots and celery. Place some of the cut vegetables out with dips like blue cheese dressing or ranch, both of which can double as classic pairings for your wings.   

• Redefine “homemade.” The Crispy Baked Wings can serve as a versatile base for just about any sauce you might be craving. Instead of making a sauce entirely from scratch, consider making some quick alterations to premade ones. For example, add an ingredient like Tabasco Chipotle Sauce to store-bought barbecue sauce to impart a smoky flavor and lime juice for added brightness. Small changes can add that special, homemade quality without all the work. Recipes like Chipotle Barbecue Sauce or Nashville-Style Sauce can complement wings for true crowd-pleasers – pick your favorite or try both.

Find more flavorful recipes and game day tips at Tabasco.com/wings.

Crispy Baked Wings with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce or Nashville-Style Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Wings:

• 2          tablespoons baking powder
• 1          teaspoon salt
• 1          teaspoon paprika
• 1/4       teaspoon black pepper
• 4 1/2    pounds chicken wings, drums and flats separated, tips removed

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce:

• 1          cup barbecue sauce
• 3          tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
• 2          tablespoons lime juice

Nashville-Style Sauce:

• 6          tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
• 8          tablespoons butter, softened
• 1          tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1          teaspoon paprika
• 1/2       teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2       teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 425° F.
2. In bowl, combine baking powder, salt, paprika and black pepper. Shake over both sides of wings.
3. Place seasoned wings on rack over foil-lined sheet pan.
4. Bake 20 minutes, turn wings over and continue cooking additional 20 minutes in convection oven or 30 minutes in conventional oven. Cooked wings should reach at least 180° F internal temperature with crispy texture.
5. To make Chipotle Barbecue Sauce: In bowl, mix barbecue sauce, Tabasco Chipotle Sauce and lime juice.
6. Alternatively, to make Nashville-Style Wing Sauce: In bowl, mix Tabasco Sauce, butter, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Set aside.
7. Remove wings from oven. Toss wings with preferred sauce and serve.

Source:  Tabasco

Food, family and holiday traditions

(Family Features) A tamalada, or tamale-making party, is a Mexican holiday tradition that occurs during Las Posadas and combines two of the season’s most important ingredients – quality family time and flavorful food.

Consider these tips from Sylvia Garza of Qué Mami Organics to help make your tamalada fun and easy.

• Food: Before your tamalada, prepare the ingredients that require extra time and work. For example, if you are using roasted chilies, roast them the day before and have them peeled, seeded and cut up for seamless assembly the next day.

• Family: When hosting a tamalada, have food or snacks ready to share with your guests. Making dozens of tamales can take most of the day, so you’ll want to keep your helpers well-fed.

• Flavor: Add an ingredient like Tabasco Chipotle Sauce to your masa when making tamales. Not only can the sauce add smoky flavor, but it also gives the dough an appetizing golden color. You can also mix the sauce into your filling for a brighter flavor and a kick of heat.

Find more flavorful recipes at Tabasco.com.

Zucchini and Corn Tamales

Recipe courtesy of Sylvia Garza of Qué Mami Organics
Yield: 16 tamales

• 30        large, softened corn husks

Masa (dough):

• 3          cups masa harina (corn flour)
• 2          teaspoons baking powder
• 2          teaspoons sea salt
• 2 1/3    cups vegetable broth, warmed
• 1/2       cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2       cup vegetable shortening

Filling:

• 1          tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2       small red onion, diced
• 1          garlic clove, finely diced
• 3          cups zucchini, cubed small
• 1          tomato, cubed small
• 1/4       teaspoon dried oregano
• 1          teaspoon sea salt
• 1          cup sweet white corn
• 4          tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 5          ounces Qué Mami Organics Red Enchilada Sauce
• 2 1/2    tablespoons Tabasco Pepper Sauce
• 8          ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2-ounce strips

1. To prep husks: Soak corn husks in hot water. Place heavy pot on top of husks to keep submerged at least 1 hour. Once pliable, rinse each corn husk.
2. To make dough: In large bowl, mix corn flour, baking powder and sea salt. Using hands, mix in warm vegetable broth to make firm dough. In mixer, cream butter and shortening until fluffy then add dough in small amounts until well mixed. Continue mixing at low-medium speed 5 minutes, scraping dough off sides of bowl. Reserve dough.
3. To make filling: In large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil; saute red onion and garlic until translucent. Add zucchini and mix 1 minute. Add tomato, dried oregano and sea salt; continue mixing 1 minute. Add corn and chopped cilantro. Stir and continue cooking about 2 minutes more; zucchini should be cooked but al dente. Remove filling to heat-resistant bowl.
4. In small bowl, combine enchilada sauce and Tabasco pepper sauce. Add half of sauce mixture to filling; mix well. Reserve remaining sauce.
5. To assemble tamales, spread 2 tablespoons dough onto wide end of each corn husk. Dough should extend across corn husks, except 1 inch on sides and about 3 inches from narrow end.
6. Scoop about 1 tablespoon zucchini and corn filling into middle of dough. Add 1 teaspoon reserved sauce over filling and one strip cheese on top. Fold right side of corn husk over filling and seal closed with dough. Fold over left side of corn husk tightly and fold narrow end of corn husk up. Cut strips from extra corn husks and tie around each tamale to secure.
7. Place tamales vertically, filling-side up, in steam pot with enough water to steam 40-45 minutes. Cover tamales with extra corn husks to trap in steam; place lid on pot. Tamales are ready when masa dough separates easily from husks. Add water to pot, as necessary, for longer steaming.
8. Let tamales rest 10 minutes before unwrapping. Remove corn husks before serving.

Source: Tabasco

Ingredients

• 2 (16-ounce) can Goya black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.25-ounce) can Muir Glen diced tomatoes no salt added
• 2 (11-ounce) cans Del Monte Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn no salt added, drained
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can Old El Paso green chilies chopped, drained
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• Baked tortilla chips

Preparation

1. In large bowl combine black beans, diced tomatoes with liquid, corn, green chilies, olive oil, vinegar, salt and Tabasco. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. To serve, stir in avocado and cilantro to mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.

Source

Can Manufacturers Institute