Photo by goodiesfirst.Dish of the Week: Pan con Lechon
Where: El Floridano, Mi Cuba Cafe
Cuban food takes cues from Spanish, Caribbean, and African cuisines, but it’s probably most famous for something far less sexy—it’s namesake sandwich. This week, we break from tradition and feature a different member of Cuba’s sandwich canon, pan con lechon.
If you’re going to build a sandwich around only one ingredient, that ingredient needs to be very, very good. In the case of pan con lechon, it’s all about the pig. There’s no lettuce, mayo, or mustard here: pan con lechon is just a big ol’ pile of pork between two crusty slices of bread. There are a few grilled onions thrown in for a hit of earthly sweetness and maybe some mojo sauce for a bit of kick, but these are mere after thoughts compared to the sublime pork. Slow roasted in a marinade of sour orange, oregano, and lots of garlic, the pork becomes sweet, garlicky, and meltingly tender. It may not look like much, but the flavors more than make up for the sandwich’s homely appearance.
D.C. isn’t exactly a hot bed of Cuban cuisine, but you can snag a couple tasty versions of pan con lechon around town. The newish Mi Cuba Cafe (1424 Park Road NW) in Columbia Heights serves up a moist, tender sandwich that’s easily big enough to feed two. Meanwhile, the El Floridano food truck seems to have gotten wise to the generous portions and offers both a large and small version of their pan con lechon, slathered with a spicy guava sauce for a hint of tropical heat.
Small Bites
Bel’le Memorial Dinner
On Monday night, Toki Underground will be hosting their first annual Bel’le Dinner in memory of their late chef Thang Le. The eight course meal will feature a host of exotic items, including scallops with black garlic, pig’s tongue congee, and pork neck and prawn with rice noodles. Forty of the $90 ticket price will be donated to the Washington Youth Garden. Call 202-388-3086 to reserve a spot.
Let the al fresco Drinking Begin
Next Friday marks the re-opening of one of the most popular drinking patios around. The Standard (1801 14th Street NW) will be resuming service for the year, complete with heat lamps to keep you warm even when the weather is not.
Margs for a Cause
It’s National Margarita Day, and if you want to partake in this made-up holiday, you might as well do it for charity. Stop by Tortilla Coast (1460 P St NW and 400 1st St SE) today for $5 margaritas, $1 of which will go to support Food and Friends.
A Name Only an International Politics Wonk Could Love
More details have surfaced about the newest restaurant and bar from the Haidar Karoum and Mark Kuller, the folks behind Proof and Estadio. Dubbed Doi Moi, a reference to Vietnam’s “open door” economic policies in the 1980s, the forthcoming eatery will feature (what else?) Thai and Vietnamese small plates, as well as a cocktail bar named 2 Birds 1 Stone headed by Proof’s Adam Bernbach.
