Name: Cubano Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients: 1 pork shoulder (we used bone-in, but a tied-up boneless shoulder—or even a butterflied one—would be better for carving later on); 4 C orange juice; 2 C water; 1/2 C rice wine vinegar; 1/2 C spiced rum; 1/4 C brown sugar; 2 stems each coarsely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano; 1/2 C salt; 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves; 3 bay leaves; 1/2 C olive oil; Zest and juice from 3 oranges (strip the zest from the fruit with a veggie peeler); Zest and juice from 6 limes (strip the zest from the fruit with a veggie peeler); 2 Tbsp rough-chopped fresh oregano; 1/2 C rough-chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 C rough-chopped fresh mint; 1 head of garlic, peeled; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 Tbsp ground cumin; Cuban loaves of bread You can find Cuban loaves at Latin markets, or substitute with soft loaves of French bread or bolillo rolls; Yellow or dijon mustard; Thinly sliced ham; Sliced Swiss cheese; Thinly sliced sandwich pickles; Butter

Description

Cubano sandwiches with mojo-marinated roasted pork shoulder. Adapted from Binging with Babish.

Ingredients

Scale

For the roast pork:

1 pork shoulder (we used bone-in, but a tied-up boneless shoulder—or even a butterflied one—would be better for carving later on)

Brine

4 C orange juice
2 C water
1/2 C rice wine vinegar
1/2 C spiced rum
1/4 C brown sugar
2 stems each coarsely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano
1/2 C salt
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves
3 bay leaves

Mojo Marinade

1/2 C olive oil
Zest and juice from 3 oranges (strip the zest from the fruit with a veggie peeler)
Zest and juice from 6 limes (strip the zest from the fruit with a veggie peeler)
2 Tbsp rough-chopped fresh oregano
1/2 C rough-chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 C rough-chopped fresh mint
1 head of garlic, peeled
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp ground cumin

For the sandwiches:

Cuban loaves of bread
- You can find Cuban loaves at Latin markets, or substitute with soft loaves of French bread or bolillo rolls
Yellow or dijon mustard
Thinly sliced ham
Sliced Swiss cheese
Thinly sliced sandwich pickles
Butter

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Instructions

Brine the pork

Score the pork lightly all over with a sharp knife, especially on the fat cap.

In a food processor, place the garlic, sugar, salt, and herbs. Pulse until well chopped. (You don’t really need to peel the garlic for this step if you don’t want to.)
Mix together all brine ingredients, stirring until well combined.
Pour the brine over the pork and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

Marinate the pork

Combine the strips of citrus zest, the garlic (peeled this time), salt, and the herbs in the bowl of a food processor. Run the processor until the garlic is well minced and the citrus zest strips are cut small.
Combine the herb/garlic/zest mix and all remaining marinade ingredients and stir well.

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Remove pork shoulder from the brine and pat dry.
Place the pork in the marinade and massage the marinade into the surface of the pork. Pile some of the herby bits of the marinade up on top of the pork if it is hot fully submerged.

Marinate for 3 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Roast the pork

Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C).
Remove the pork shoulder from the marinade and place it on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet.
Baste the pork shoulder with some of the excess marinade.
Place ChefAlarm probe into the thickest part of the center of the meat (avoid bone if using a bone-in shoulder).
Set your ChefAlarm’s high-temp alarm to 165°F (74°C).
Place the roast in the oven and cook until your ChefAlarm’s high alarm sounds.
Once the high alarm sounds, plunge the probe of your Thermapen® ONE into the pork shoulder and pull it back through the center, watching for the lowest reading, to be sure that the lowest temperature in the pork is 165°F (74°C).
- If a lower temperature is found, reposition the ChefAlarm probe so it is tracking the lowest temperature found in the roast and continue cooking until the pull temperature of 165°F (74°C) is reached, as verified with Thermapen.
Remove the pork shoulder from the oven and increase the oven’s temperature to 500°F (260°C).
Once the oven is preheated, place the pork shoulder back into the oven to form a crisp, brown crust—about 10 minutes.
Remove the pork from the oven once the crust has developed to your preference, and let it rest, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, slice the pork into 1/4″ thick slices against the grain.

Make the sandwiches

If you have a panini press, heat it up to 350°F (177°C). If you have a flattop, heat it; if you have a cast-iron pan, start heating it over medium heat.
Cut the loaves of bread in half along their long axis.
Melt butter and brush it onto the surface cut surfaces of the bread. Place the cut sides face-down on your hot surface and toast them.

Cook the ham and the sliced pork on the hot pan until browned and hot.

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Coat each piece of bread with mustard. Don’t use too much, but make sure you have good coverage.
Arrange a layer of pork on the bottom piece of bread. Top it with ham, a couple slices of Swiss cheese, and the pickles.

Top with the other half of the bread. Brush both sides with melted butter and put it in the press/on the pan. Cook.
If using a flattop or a pan, press down on the sandwich with a heavy pan or pot to flatten it.

Cook until the cheese is melted and the insides are hot and the outsides are golden and crisp.
Slice on the diagonal and serve!