The Sandwich Cubano Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat a sandwich press to medium heat.
• Drizzle the onion and pepper with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the onion and pepper on the sandwich press, close and cook until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Slice into strips.
• Brush the outside of the bottom half of the bread with some of the melted butter. Brush the inside of both halves with a generous amount of the Mojo Mustard. On the bottom half of the bread, layer the sliced deli ham and top with the carnitas. Top with the gherkins, grilled onion and peppers and finally the cheese. Top with the top half of the bread and brush with more butter. Slice in half widthwise.
• Place both halves in the sandwich press, close, press down and cook until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut in half to make 4 sandwiches.
• Mix together the mustard, honey, chili paste, oregano, cumin, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic and some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Set the slow cooker to high. Put the pork cubes in the slow cooker and season all over with the chipotle powder and some salt. Turn any pieces with the fat cap upright. Nestle in the garlic, cinnamon sticks and yellow onion. Pour the orange soda, vegetable oil and orange juice and zest over the pork. Cover and cook on high until super tender, about 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to broil.
• Transfer the pork chunks to a baking sheet fat-side up. Let the liquid in the slow cooker settle so the fat is on the surface. Scoop off about 1/4 cup of the fat and drizzle over the pork chunks. Broil until the meat is crispy and the fat is bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the roasted pork: In a blender, combine the garlic cloves, cumin, pepper, salt, oregano, orange juice, and lime juice. Blend on high speed until smooth.
• Pour the marinade into a large zip-top plastic bag and add the pork shoulder, rubbing to coat well. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
• Transfer the pork and its marinade to a roasting pan. Roast until a crust begins to form and the internal temperature reaches 190-195°F (85-90°C), about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving (if you have time, you can refrigerate the pork overnight so it's easier to slice).
• Cut 12 slices of pork for the sandwiches and reserve the rest for another use.
• Make the sandwiches: Heat a 10-inch (25 cm) cast iron skillet over medium heat.
• Set the bottom halves of the Cuban bread on a cutting board and layer each piece with 4 slices of ham, 3 slices of pork, 2 slices of salami, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, and 4 pickle slices.
• Slather 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard on the inside of each top half of bread, then place on top of each sandwich.
• Brush the tops of the sandwiches with melted butter, then place in the hot skillet, top side down. Place a small pan on top of sandwiches and weigh down with a heavy can. Cook until the bread begins to crisp, about 2 minutes. Uncover and flip the sandwiches, then press again and cook until the bottom is crisp and the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes more.
• Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• To make the Cuban Roast Pork: Mash the garlic and salt together using a mortar/pestle.
• Place the mash mixture in a small bowl; add in oregano, onion, and sour orange juice; mix thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add in the mash mixture and whisk to blend.
• Remove from heat and set marinade aside.
• Pierce the pork roast with a sharp knife or fork.
• Set aside a small amount of the marinade for use during the roasting period.
• Pour remaining marinade over the pork, cover, and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°; remove pork from marinade and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Sprinkle reserved marinade over pork.
• Roast until completely cooked and a meat thermometer registers 160° (about 20 minutes per lb).
• Baste occasionally with the pan juices.
• Remove pork from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before thinly slicing the meat.
• Bring remaining pan juices to a boil and simmer until juice is reduced by half; use this juice to sprinkle onto the meat in the sandwiches.
• To make the sandwiches: cut the bread into 4 sections, each about 8 inches long; slice these sections in half horizontally; spread butter on the inside of both halves.
• Generously layer sandwiches with filling ingredients in the following order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese.
• Spread with the optional mustard or mayonnaise if desired.
• Preheat a pancake griddle or large skillet.
• Lightly coat hot griddle or skillet with cooking spray; add in the first sandwich (make sure that your griddle or skillet is not too hot or the crust will burn before the cheese melts).
• Place a heavy iron skillet on top of the sandwich to flatten it (you want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about a third of its original size).
• Grill the sandwich for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
• Repeat the process for each sandwich.
• Slice each sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
• Note--Additions like Genoa salami, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and onion have become popular in the past forty years but are considered heresy by purists; in the old days, the sandwich was brushed on the outside with a small amount of pork drippings.