Truth be told, sandwiches are probably my favorite food. (Don't tell pizza I said that.) They're so versatile: they're great for any meal of the day, hot or cold, no dishes, portable, the list goes on. If you had a chance to see the new movie, Chef, by Jon Favreau, then you know exactly why I needed to make some Cubano Sandwiches asap. In the movie, a father and son re-build their relationship aboard a food truck doling out Cubanos from coast to coast. I was dying of jealousy (and hunger) the entire time... both times I saw it.
I am not an expert in Cubanos, unfortunately, but I can tell you that these sandwiches are incredible. What are they exactly? Tender, thinly sliced, marinated pork roast along with sliced ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard piled between buttery golden toasted buns. Spectacular. In a perfect world we would use authentic Cuban bread, but it is not widely available in this area, so I used an Italian-style loaf and it worked wonderfully. You could also use hoagie rolls or another type of loaf bread, just look for something a little bit wider than French bread.
PrintCubano Sandwiches
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: At least 4 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
For the roast pork:
- 4 to 5-pound pork shoulder roast
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ cup olive oil
For the Sandwiches:
- 1 loaf bread (Cuban is best, but Italian bread or hoagie rolls will work too)
- 1 pound sliced ham (about ¼-pound per sandwich)
- ½-pound sliced Baby Swiss cheese (2 slices per sandwich)
- Sliced dill pickles
- Yellow mustard
- Unsalted butter, softened (for brushing on bread)
Instructions
Prepare the marinade:
- Combine together the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, juices, onion, and oregano in a small bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot but not sizzling. Stir in the garlic mixture until well blended. Allow to cool.
Roast the pork:
- Place the pork roast in a roasting pan. Puncture the surface of the pork all over with a fork. Pour the marinade over the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the pork, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, then lower temperature to 225 degrees F and cook until the meat is tender, cooked through, and pulls apart easily.
- Slice pork.
Assemble the Cubano sandwiches:
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Cut bread loaf in half horizontally, and then into 6-inch portions. Spread inside of bread with butter. Toast the buttered inside of the bread in the heated skillet until lightly golden.
- Remove from skillet and layer the ingredients on the bottom piece of bread in this order: pork, ham, cheese, and then pickles. Spread yellow mustard on the inside of the top bun and place on top of the sandwich. Brush the outside of the sandwich with butter and grill the sandwiches for a few minutes per side, until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from: Three Guys from Miami
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