Cubano Sandwiches Recipes

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne together in a bowl to make the sauce.
• Trim off ends of bread. Cut loaf in half and evenly split bread to make tops and bottoms of 2 sandwiches. Spread each half on both sides generously with the mayo/mustard sauce.
• Divide sandwich ingredients between the two bottom halves in this order: 2 slices Swiss cheese, 3 slices ham, hot cooked pork, pickle slices, and 2 more slices of Swiss cheese. Place tops on sandwiches.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet and press down with a heavy weight (such as another skillet or foil-wrapped bricks). Toast sandwiches until bread is crisp and filling is heated through, 3 or 4 minutes per side.

Steps:

• Split open and quarter 1 loaf French bread. Mix 2 tablespoons each mayonnaise and dijon mustard and spread on the bread. Sandwich with sliced Swiss cheese, deli-style ham, roast pork, pickles and more cheese. Butter the sandwiches, then cook in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, pressing with a heavy skillet, 2 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, pressing, until golden, 1 more minute.
• Quick pickles:
• Bring 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 3 tablespoons chopped onion, 1 tablespoon each salt and sugar, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 3 minced garlic cloves to a boil; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Pour over 1 sliced peeled large cucumber in a bowl and stir. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Mix yellow and Dijon mustards together and spread evenly over baguette slices. Top 1/2 of the bread slices with 1/2 of the Swiss cheese and place on the rack on the baking sheet. Top each with pickle slices, ham, pork loin, and remaining cheese. Top sandwiches with remaining baguette slices.
• Spread mayonnaise over the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with garlic powder. Spray the bottom of a second baking pan with cooking spray and place upside-down on top of the sandwiches. Weigh down the top pan with a heavy, oven-safe item such as a cast iron skillet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove top pan and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter inside of each roll; spread with mustard. Divide ham, pork, and cheese among bottom halves of rolls. Top with pickles, more mustard to taste, and top halves of rolls. Press down firmly on sandwiches.
• Heat a grill pan and another heavy pan over medium. With a paper towel, lightly coat grill pan with butter. In batches, place sandwiches on grill pan and weight with second pan. Cook until bread is crisp on the outside, about 3 minutes per side; transfer grill pan to oven and bake sandwiches until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. To serve, cut sandwiches in half.

Steps:

• Heat a large pan or griddle with the oil to medium heat. Put the tortillas in the pan (in batches if need be) and place a slice of Swiss on each. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the mustard over the top of each cheese slice. Stack half of the tortillas with 4 ounces of pulled pork followed by 2 slices of ham. Add 4 pickle slices on top of the ham, then top with a second tortilla (with just the cheese) to make a sandwich. Press the sandwiches lightly and allow the cheese to melt, making sure that the tortillas are nice and crispy.
• Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat a sandwich press to medium heat.
• Drizzle the onion and pepper with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the onion and pepper on the sandwich press, close and cook until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Slice into strips.
• Brush the outside of the bottom half of the bread with some of the melted butter. Brush the inside of both halves with a generous amount of the Mojo Mustard. On the bottom half of the bread, layer the sliced deli ham and top with the carnitas. Top with the gherkins, grilled onion and peppers and finally the cheese. Top with the top half of the bread and brush with more butter. Slice in half widthwise.
• Place both halves in the sandwich press, close, press down and cook until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut in half to make 4 sandwiches.
• Mix together the mustard, honey, chili paste, oregano, cumin, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic and some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Set the slow cooker to high. Put the pork cubes in the slow cooker and season all over with the chipotle powder and some salt. Turn any pieces with the fat cap upright. Nestle in the garlic, cinnamon sticks and yellow onion. Pour the orange soda, vegetable oil and orange juice and zest over the pork. Cover and cook on high until super tender, about 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to broil.
• Transfer the pork chunks to a baking sheet fat-side up. Let the liquid in the slow cooker settle so the fat is on the surface. Scoop off about 1/4 cup of the fat and drizzle over the pork chunks. Broil until the meat is crispy and the fat is bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Cut Cuban bread to desired size, common size is 7 inches. Next, slice open the bread down the middle. On the topside of the bread spread 1-ounce of mustard, evenly across. Then place 4 pickles on top of the mustard. You then place 1 slice of Swiss cheese on top of the pickles. Slice ham to desired thickness, recommended size is 1 1/2 ounces per slice, the thinner the better. Now fold each slice of ham in half and place evenly on bottom of bread. On top of the ham, place slices of roast pork, 1 1/2 ounces per slice. You then join both halves of the sandwich. You are now ready to grill your Cuban sandwich.
• Use a sandwich grill if you have one, a waffle iron if not. Spread butter on top of the bread evenly. Close the grill, smashing the sandwich. Leave sandwich in the grill until top of bread turns to a golden brown, and top is crisp. Approximate time is 4 to 6 minutes. After the sandwich is crispy and the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich carefully and slice it diagonally, from corner to corner. DO NOT USE A MICROWAVE OVEN!

Steps:

• Make the roasted pork: In a blender, combine the garlic cloves, cumin, pepper, salt, oregano, orange juice, and lime juice. Blend on high speed until smooth.
• Pour the marinade into a large zip-top plastic bag and add the pork shoulder, rubbing to coat well. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
• Transfer the pork and its marinade to a roasting pan. Roast until a crust begins to form and the internal temperature reaches 190-195°F (85-90°C), about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving (if you have time, you can refrigerate the pork overnight so it's easier to slice).
• Cut 12 slices of pork for the sandwiches and reserve the rest for another use.
• Make the sandwiches: Heat a 10-inch (25 cm) cast iron skillet over medium heat.
• Set the bottom halves of the Cuban bread on a cutting board and layer each piece with 4 slices of ham, 3 slices of pork, 2 slices of salami, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, and 4 pickle slices.
• Slather 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard on the inside of each top half of bread, then place on top of each sandwich.
• Brush the tops of the sandwiches with melted butter, then place in the hot skillet, top side down. Place a small pan on top of sandwiches and weigh down with a heavy can. Cook until the bread begins to crisp, about 2 minutes. Uncover and flip the sandwiches, then press again and cook until the bottom is crisp and the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes more.
• Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
• Enjoy!