AI-generated photo.
Cuban · Iconic, Havana · Cuba
Medianoche
Medianoche (medianoche), a Havana plate from Cuba.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Medianoche is cooked in Havana as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Layer roast pork and ham with mustard and cheese in soft bread and press it in butter until the cheese melts. A sweet egg roll is the usual bread. Country bread is the loaf this pantry counts. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
68
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 32%
- Carbs 33%
- Fat 35%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 28.3 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1175 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Frying makes this a harder plate when you feel unwell.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Country bread150 kcal
- Gruyère72 kcal
- Pork tenderloin60 kcal
- Unsalted butter36 kcal
- Cooked ham34 kcal
- Dijon mustard3 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 21.9. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 354 kcal.
Allergens. Gluten, Milk, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 354 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 354 kcal | 18% |
| Protein | 28.3 g | 57% |
| Carbohydrate | 28.9 g | 11% |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 2.9 g | 6% |
| Fat | 13.5 g | 17% |
| Saturated fat | 6.9 g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 78 mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 1175 mg | 51% |
| Potassium | 395 mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 214 mg | 16% |
| Iron | 3.1 mg | 17% |
| Magnesium | 46 mg | 11% |
| Zinc | 2.9 mg | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 82 mcg | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 8.9 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.4 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 1 mcg | 1% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.2 mg | 98% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 41% |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.8 mg | 49% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 36% |
| Folate | 71 mcg | 18% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.8 mcg | 33% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium is high, mostly from salt, fish sauce, soy, or cured seasonings.
- The method is a fry, so it stays out of the lightest group even when the rest of the plate is modest.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Slotted spoon
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Country bread4 pieces220 g- Cooked ham4 slices110 g
Pork tenderloin2 pieces220 g
Gruyère0.6 cup70 g
Dijon mustard1 tbsp18 g
Unsalted butter1 tbsp20 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Medianoche. Heat to 350°F / 177°C oil and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh country bread, cooked ham, pork tenderloin, gruyère, dijon mustard, unsalted butter, kosher salt. Medianoche is cooked in Havana as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Layer roast pork and ham with mustard and cheese in soft bread and press it in butter until the cheese melts. A sweet egg roll is the usual bread. Country bread is the loaf this pantry counts. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Medianoche is cooked in cuba. A thermometer in the thickest center beats guessing from the color.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Medianoche, until the edges take a little color. Fry in small batches so the oil temperature does not crash.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Medianoche at 350°F / 177°C oil. Start checking at 7 minutes. Medianoche is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
Fry 7 min
- 🇨🇺 CubaCaribbeanicon-cuba-medianoche-step-4
Medianoche, step 5
Step 5 · Medianoche
5Check the center of Medianoche, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇨🇺 CubaCaribbeanicon-cuba-medianoche-step-5
Medianoche, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Medianoche for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in cuba, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Medianoche in this shot order and no other: scale and bowls in a flat lay; the slice or ladle hitting a warm plate; a grill grate just before the food lands; fish just turning opaque and flaking. Slate words for the editor: birch, umber, peel, ribbon, mist, iris, candle, zester, anchor, undercrust.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Medianoche is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
If it goes wrong
- Medianoche looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Medianoche turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Medianoche, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Medianoche is one of the plates people ask for by name from Havana.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Layer roast pork and ham with mustard and cheese in soft bread and press it in butter until the cheese melts. A sweet egg roll is the usual bread. Country bread is the loaf this pantry counts.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Milk, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.