Ingredients
Cuban Pork:
- 1 pound boneless pork shoulder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 long Cuban bread roll
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup bread and butter pickles
- 8 thin slices deli ham
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Directions
You can do this in a regular Dutch oven, but for convenience and time use a pressure cooker as follows:
Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.
Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.
Review This Recipe
You must be logged in to review this recipe.
or Sign Up to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 12 reviews
By kayliveshere
Flagstaff, AZ
on November 12, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Incredible!! I made this for Super Bowl a couple years ago along with homemade mojitos : I cooked the pork in the crockpot overnight and had to slap hands to keep my family out of the meat when they woke up in the morning. I made it on a huge loaf of French bread and our guests could not get enough! It also looked pretty impressive! Good stuff! I am considering making just the pork for Thanksgiving this year. Think the kids can live without a wishbone? Lol!
By nelthedaddydude...
East Elmhurst , NY
on October 16, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Now I know what to do with my left over Pernil. Very authentic tasting. Fast way to make a Pernil that i never would have thought of. Nice going Tyler.
By LAROC2010
Bradenton, FL
on August 23, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
I am from the Tampa Area (Ybor City - and here is how we like our cubans... a bit different than your version - but I have to agree with Barbara to some extent! We make the pork shoulder like Barbara, (or buy it already sliced in the deli and then go to town!:
Slice the authentic Cuban Bread length-wise, slather 'grey pupon' mustard on the 'bottom' half of the bread; butter the top half (both inside-of course. Then begin by adding the pork on the bottom, a layer of swiss, then the ham AND THEN genoa salami slices overlapping, folded a bit, so they fit inside the bread perfectly, like all the other 'stuff'!. Add another layer cheese. Salt and Pepper to taste.....then lay long slices of DILL PICKLES at an angle, so you get a bite of pickle in each bite. (Either slice the whole dills your self (long ways or buy the Zesty Dill slices you can find in the chilled section of your grocery store.
Then close up the long sandwich, cut diagonally into serving size sandwiches and wrap each one in aluminium foil (fold the foil at the top 2 or 3 times and then fold in the ends. Place as many sandwiches you need to feed your guests (or family in the oven at 325 on a cookie sheet until they are warmed all the way thru - if you wish, open up the foil for a bit for EXTRA CRUNCH ON THE BREAD at the end. ENJOY! (We never saw 'pressed Cubans' SO OFTEN until just a while ago - I think they press them because they are not using AUTHENTIC CUBAN BREAD! Try it this way, I think you will really enjoy them! Make sure you get REALLY AUTHENTIC LONG CUBAN BREAD...IT MAKES FOR MORE FUN, just making the sandwiches!
Read all 12 reviews