Tampa Cuban Sandwich

Name: Tampa Cuban Sandwich
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT2H35M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT3H5M0.000S
Yield: 1 sandwich (plus extra roast pork)
Cuisine: cuban
Ingredients: 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder; 1/2 cup fresh lime juice; 1/2 cup fresh orange juice; 8 large cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 4 bay leaves; 1 9-inch piece Cuban bread; 4 thin slices glazed ham (about 4 ounces); 3 to 4 thin slices Genoa salami with peppercorns (about 1 ounce); 2 thin slices Swiss cheese (about 1 ounce); 2 pickle slices; 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; Unsalted butter, softened, for cooking

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Level: Intermediate
Total: 3 hr 5 min

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 2 hr 35 min

Yield: 1 sandwich (plus extra roast pork)

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Ingredients

For the Pork:

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

8 large cloves garlic

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 bay leaves

For the Sandwich:

1 9-inch piece Cuban bread

4 thin slices glazed ham (about 4 ounces)

3 to 4 thin slices Genoa salami with peppercorns (about 1 ounce)

2 thin slices Swiss cheese (about 1 ounce)

2 pickle slices

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Unsalted butter, softened, for cooking

Directions

Prepare the pork: Cut small slits all over the meat with a knife and put skin-side down in a roasting pan. Mix the lime juice and orange juice in a measuring cup. Transfer 1/4 cup juice mixture to a food processor; add the garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse to make a paste. Rub over the pork and into the slits. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup juice over the pork; press the bay leaves on top. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the pork skin-side up and roast until a thermometer inserted into the middle registers 160 degrees F, about 2 hours, 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. (Refrigerate leftover pork in an airtight container up to 1 week.)
Make the sandwich: Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Layer the ham, 3 thin slices roast pork, the salami, cheese and pickles on the bottom half. Spread the mustard on the inside of the top half. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Butter the outside of the sandwich, then add to the pan and put a heavy skillet on top to weigh it down; cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side (or cook in a sandwich press). Cut in half on the diagonal.
In any Cuban sandwich, mojo-marinated pork is key. Look for bottled marinade in Latin markets, or try this recipe from Tampa's legendary Columbia Restaurant.

Photograph by Steve Giralt

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine