Description
The Cubano is Miami and Tampa’s gift to the sandwich canon — slow-roasted mojo pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard pressed between Cuban bread until the outside is shatteringly crisp and the cheese inside has melted into everything. Its roots are in the Cuban cigar factories of Tampa’s Ybor City in the late 1800s. The mojo pork is the centerpiece, marinated overnight in a garlic-citrus bath that tenderizes the meat and infuses it with a flavor unlike anything else.
Ingredients
Units
- For the mojo pork:
- 2 pounds pork shoulder (boneless)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh sour orange juice (or 1/4 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup lime juice)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the sandwiches:
- 1 loaf Cuban bread (or a soft French or Italian bread), cut into 4 portions
- Yellow mustard
- 8 ounces sliced deli ham
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- Dill pickle slices, lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, sour orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the mojo marinade. Place the pork shoulder in a dish or bag, pour the mojo over, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Transfer the pork and marinade to a roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil. Roast for 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Let cool slightly, then shred or slice the pork. Toss with pan juices.
- Split each bread portion lengthwise. Spread yellow mustard generously on both cut sides. Layer sliced ham, mojo pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles on the bottom half. Close the sandwich.
- Butter the outside top and bottom of each sandwich. Heat a large skillet, griddle, or panini press over medium heat.
- Place the sandwiches in the pan and press down firmly with a heavy skillet, foil-wrapped brick, or sandwich press. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp.
- Flip carefully, press down again, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully melted. The bread should be shatteringly crisp and compressed.
- Cut on the diagonal and serve immediately.
Notes
- The mojo marinade is what sets a Cubano apart from a generic ham and cheese. The garlic, citrus, and cumin penetrate the pork overnight and create layers of flavor that no quick seasoning can replicate.
- Cuban bread has a thin, crisp crust with a soft, slightly sweet interior. If unavailable, a soft French bread or Italian bread works — do not use a baguette with a hard crust.
- The sandwich must be pressed firmly during cooking. The compression is not just for aesthetics — it melds the layers together and creates maximum surface contact for crisping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 890
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1720mg
- Fat: 44g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Protein: 62g