Smoked Cuban Cubano Pork Recipes

Steps:

• Grind garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and coriander into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
• Transfer half of the garlic and spice paste to a bowl; add lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and vinegar. Beat the mixture with a whisk until smooth.
• Cut several inch-long, deep slits into the fatty side of the pork roast. Rub the reserved garlic paste into the slits.
• Put rubbed roast into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Pour the liquid mixture over the roast, squeeze as much air from the bag as possible and seal; refrigerate, turning occasionally, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove pork roast from refrigerator, put into a roasting pan, and let warm at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Roast pork in preheated oven for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and continue cooking until pork is no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 170 degrees F (75 degrees C).

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients
• 2. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and stir until completely dissolved.
• 3. Use a sharp knife to cut a crosshatch pattern into the fat cap, and the bottom of the pork.
• 4. Chef's Note: This will help the marinade to penetrate into the pork.
• 5. Add the pork and the marinade to a large Ziploc bag, or non-reactive bowl.
• 6. Chef's Note: Because of the size of these pork butts, I'm using turkey-basting bags that I got from Williams-Sonoma.
• 7. Place in the fridge for 12, and up to 24 hours.
• 8. Chef's Note: If you're like me, and you like to peek into the fridge every now and then... Well, while you're in there, give the bag a big old squeeze or two.
• 9. Chef's Tip: Ziploc bags have been known to spring a leak. To keep this from becoming a problem, place the bag in a bowl, or on a large plate.
• 10. After 24 hours remove the pork from the marinade, and save about two cups.
• 11. Place the marinade into a small saucepan, and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove and reserve.
• 12. Preheat your smoker to 225f (107c).
• 13. Thoroughly coat the pork with the dry rub... Rub it in good.
• 14. Chef's Note: My dry rub consists of equal amounts of black pepper, cumin, paprika, onion powder, salt, and then a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
• 15. Add the pork butt to the smoker, along with two bricks.
• 16. Chef's Note: The bricks are optional, but I'll explain that later.
• 17. Allow the pork butt to smoke until reaching an internal temperature of 200f (94c).
• 18. Chef's Note: Once an hour, for the first 6 hours, open the smoker, and mop the pork butt with the reserved marinade.
• 19. Chef's Note: Depending on your cut of meat, it could take 12 hours to reach the magic number. But don't hasten the process by raising the heat... have patience.
• 20. Optional Step: Remove the pork butt from the smoker, wrap in foil, then place into a beverage cooler, and place some tea towels around it, plus the two hot bricks. Let it sit for two hours. What this does is finish up the melting of the collagen, and makes this pork melt in your mouth.
• 21. Chef's Tip: I made my own box out of Styrofoam, but a typical Coleman cooler will work just fine.
• 22. Remove from the cooler, and shred. If the meat is a bit dry, add a small amount of the reserved marinade.
• 23. Chef's Note: I tried several ways to cut the meat for a Cubano sandwich; however, shredded is the way to go.
• 24. There you go... the perfect Cuban smoked pork. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• 1.Stir the mayonnaise, marmalade and oregano together in a small bowl.
• 2.Square off the ends of the bread and cut in half crosswise. Split each piece horizontally to hinge open. (If using Italian rolls, only split horizontally.)
• 3.Spread the flavored mayonnaise on the bottom of the breads. Top each with 3 slices of the ham, folding if necessary to fit on the bread, and then a layer of pickles and 3 slices of cheese. Finish each sandwich with 1/2 cup Pulled Pork. Spread the mustard on the top buns and close the sandwich.
• 4.Heat a medium cast-iron pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, add the sandwiches and press with a spatula to flatten. When the sandwiches are golden brown and crispy on the bottom, about 4 minutes, flip the sandwiches and press and cook until the cheese melts and the bread is golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
• Pulled Pork:
• Put the pork, chicken broth, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and onion in a small Dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook, turning the pork every 45 minutes, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, 3 to 4 hours. Allow to sit for 15 minutes until the meat is cool enough to handle. Shred the meat with a fork. Makes about 8 cups.

Steps:

• 1. Combine ingredients 2-14.
• 2. Add marinade to pork belly. Olace in zip lock bag. Marinate over night.
• 3. Smoke at 250 degrees for 6 hours. Baste with marinade and add additional wood chips as needed.
• 4. Rest, Slice. Enjoy!