The Cuban sandwich has made its way onto menus across the country. It’s an iconic Florida favorite, with its origins in Cuban culture. Here is a simple version, with some added ingredients. We’ve added herbs to the marinade, which is optional.
When you order a Cuban sandwich, the meat can be dry and overcooked. Let’s face it, we are double-cooking a piece of pork; once in the oven and once on the panini press. Utilizing a CVap® Cook & Hold Oven to prepare the mojo pork makes it possible to cook to a specific temperature, without exceeding that temp.
Another great advantage to using a CVap Cook & Hold Oven is the High Yield option, because it will maintain the meat’s juiciness and maximize yield. In this case, we are using a piece of pork for the mojo that generally has low yield results. Because the oven calculates the best heat curve during the cook cycle, we can achieve the maximum number of servings from the pork. That translates to a couple of extra Cuban Sandwiches for you.
Mojo Pork Marinade Ingredients
- 6 pounds, 2 pieces boneless pork shoulder
- 2 each oranges, zested and juiced
- 2 each lemons, zested and juiced
- 3 each limes, zested and juiced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 bunch oregano, picked and chopped
- 2 tablespoons cumin, ground
- 3 tablespoons salt, kosher
- 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper, ground
Sandwich Assembly Ingredients
Yield: 1 Sandwich
- 1 each soft roll
- About 4 ounces Cuban pork
- 1 slice swiss cheese, sliced
- 2 each dill pickles, sliced
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon butter
Method of Preparation
- Prepare citrus, herbs, and spices for the marinade.
- In a container or mixing bowl, combine marinade ingredients (except pork). Mix well.
- In two zip lock gallon bags, place the pork. Pour the marinade over the pork, equally.
- Refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat CVap Cook and Hold Oven to Constant Cook-Off, 180°F + 4 Browning (new CVap 180°F/210°F Air), 4 Hours.
- Place the pork in a hotel pan with the marinade.
- Load the pork in the CVap and cook.
- Once the pork is cooked, place it in a refrigerator to cool; about three hours.
- Thinly slice the pork and reserve for assembly.
Assembly
- Preheat flat Panini press to 350°F.
- Slice the roll in half all the way through.
- Spread the mustard on one side of the bread.
- Top the mustard with sliced pork, pickles, cheese and other half of roll.
- Butter the Panini press and place sandwich on the press.
- Cook in the Panini press for 4-5 minutes. You will start to see the cheese melting off the sides and the bread should be nice and golden brown before removed.
