Sandwich Cubano & Mojo Pork

Whenever I’ve been traveling, the first thing I crave upon returning home to Miami is authentic Cuban food. Luckily there are several Versailles stands at the MIA Airport so I usually run to one of them as soon as I land to get my Cuban sandwich. What makes this sandwich so special is the combo of flavorful fatty meats, acidic toppings and the crunchy toasted Cuban bread. This dish tastes like home within every single bite.

MOJO PORK: Serves 6-10 (you’ll have lots of leftover pork after making the sandwiches below!)

• 6 pound pork shoulder

  Brine Liquid:

• 4 cups of orange juice

• 1/2 cup of rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup of spiced rum

• 1/4 cup of brown sugar

• 1/2 cup of salt

• 8 garlic cloves (minced)

• 3.5 cups of water

• 3 bay leaves

• Pinch of rosemary, oregano, sage and black peppercorns

  Mojo Marinade:

• 1/2 cup of orange juice

• 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice

• 2/3 cup of olive oil

• 2/3 cup of cilantro (chopped)

• 8 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 orange peel

• 2 tsp of oregano

• 1 tsp of cumin

• Salt and pepper

  Brine the pork shoulder over night (12 hours max.) in a deep dish pan to even out the liquid. Drain the liquid and marinate the pork for another 4 hours in the mojo sauce. Then throw it in the oven in a roasting dish for 2.5 hours at 275 degrees. Increase the heat to 375 degrees and roast the pork for an additional 2 hours. Baste with the sauce every so often through out the roasting process. Remove the pork from the oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Save the extra sauce in the pan to smother the pork with at the end.

SANDWICH CUBANO: Serves 4

• Shredded mojo pork (recipe above)

• 1 loaf of Cuban bread

• 1 pack of Swiss cheese

• 1 pack of ham (pan seared to get a nice char or lightly grilled)

• 1 jar of dill pickle chips

• Yellow mustard

• 1 stick of room temperature butter

• Plantain chips on the side

  Cut the loaf of bread into 4 even pieces. Assemble the sandwich in this order from bottom to top: mojo pork, seared ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Smother the top and bottom of the sandwich with butter (don’t be shy with the butter). Then throw it on the plancha to get a crispy outer layer. I used a panini maker but you can toast it in a frying pan on medium heat as well while using a heavy pot to press down the sandwich.