325. It's January and the New Years Celebrations have concluded as well as the extravagant meals and treats. I roasted pork loin and had quite a large amount left over so I popped the remaining meat in the freezer.
Today, was a great day to pull out the pork and to transform it into another form, Cuban Sandwiches.
Here is my recipe:
Cuban Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds Roasted Pork, cooled and pulled/shredded apart
zest from one lime
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup apple or orange juice
1/2 cup dill pickle, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
2 sweet onions chopped thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place in a slow cooker or large covered pan. For Slow Cooker: Place all ingredients except the pork into the slow cooker. Stir all together well till incorporated. Place the pork on top of the sauce. Set the slow cooker on High and cook for 6 hours.
For large covered pan: Place oil in pan and heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté. Add remaining ingredients and adjust seasoning. Sauté for 1 hour stirring occasionally and testing pork for tenderness.
Construct the sandwich
long, unseeded Italian bread or soft Cuban bread
soft butter
sliced ham
sliced swiss cheese
sliced dill pickles
mustard yellow or sweet
Slice bread lengthwise and cut length for each individual sandwich. Butter the outside of the bread. On bottom side of bread begin to layer mustard, ham, pork and Swiss cheese and pickles. Place top of bread over cheese and place whole sandwich on a panini press on high or in a cast iron pan with another heavy pan on top for weight. Toast the sandwich well till cheese is melty and bread is crispy brown.
Remove from heat and cut the sandwich on a diagonal. Transfer to serving plate and serve with chips and pickles.
"Too few people understand a really good sandwich."
-James Beard
