The Cuban
sandwich, or “cubano” hails from, you’ve guessed it, Cuba, but it quickly
became popular in the southeast United States, specifically Florida, where many
Cuban immigrants settled to work in cigar factories. A standard cubano consists
of mojo-roasted pork, sliced ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard, plus an added
topping of controversy over whether or not a “true” version should contain
salami.
This
sandwich should ideally be made with Cuban bread, which is enriched with lard
and is notable for the way it toasts into a very crisp, flat sandwich. Cuban
bread can be tricky to find, so a baguette or panini-style bread can be
substituted.
Makes 10
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE PORK:
4½lb (2kg) boneless pork shoulder
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaped tbsp
sea salt
Black pepper, to taste
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp dried
oregano
1 onion, grated
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2/3 cup (150ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
Scant 1/3 cup (80ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
Olive oil
10 Cuban-style bread rolls (or a
baguette or panini-style bread if no Cuban bakers are to hand)
Dijon mustard, to taste
20 cooked ham slices
10 Swiss cheese slices
3 dill pickles (pickled gherkins),
drained and sliced, or to taste
Butter
Start the pork the day before you want to eat
it. If the meat has a thick layer of fat, make some scores in it so the
marinade can penetrate. With a pestle and mortar, pound together the garlic,
salt, a decent amount of black pepper, and the cumin seeds. Mix in the oregano.
Place the pork in a non-reactive dish and smear
the garlic-oregano mixture all over it. Mix together the onion, the citrus
zests and juices, and a good glug of olive oil and pour this over the pork.
Turn the pork over in the marinade, then cover and refrigerate overnight,
turning occasionally (if you’re awake).
The next day, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C)
Gas 2. Transfer the pork and marinade to a roasting pan, cover with aluminum
foil, and roast in the oven for 2 hours, basting occasionally. Remove the foil
and roast the pork for a further 1½ hours, until the meat is fork-tender and
the top is browned. If it gets too brown, replace the foil. You may also need
to add a little water during cooking if the pan gets too dry.
When the meat is cooked, remove it from the
oven, cover with clean foil, and let rest for at least 30 minutes, before
slicing and serving. If you do find that the roasting juices have caramelized
too much, try adding some warm water and stirring to reconstitute the sauce.
To assemble the sandwiches, cut each Cuban roll almost in half
lengthwise, leaving a join along one side. Brush the crust lightly with olive
oil, then spread the top half of each roll with Dijon mustard. On the bottom
half of each roll, layer on some of the roast pork and the roasting juices. Add
2 slices of ham, followed by 1 slice of cheese, top with some dill pickle
slices, then add the top half of each roll.
Heat
a skillet or frying pan (or a panini press, if you have one) and melt some
butter in it. Add a sandwich to the skillet (cook 1 sandwich at a time). Press
the sandwich down and then weight it down with another heavy skillet placed on
top, so that it is about one-third of its original thickness. Cook until
golden, then turn over and toast the other side until golden. Cut in half
diagonally and serve. Cook and serve the remaining sandwiches in the same way.
