Mojo Pork Cuban Sandwiches

Name: Mojo Pork Cuban Sandwiches
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 pounds Smithfield Roasted Garlic & Herb Loin Filet (or a 2 pound pork filet); 1 tablespoon orange zest; 3/4 cup fresh orange juice; 1/2 cup fresh lime juice; 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped; 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; Salt and pepper; 6 soft Bolillo rolls, split in half lengthwise; 6 thin slices of boiled ham; Softened butter, for spreading on the bread; Yellow mustard, for spreading on the bread; Cuban Mojo-Marinated Pork, or store-bought roast pork; 12 slices of Swiss cheese; 3 half-sour dill pickles, thinly sliced

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Classic Cuban sandwiches with mojo pork, crispy ham, dill pickles, and lots of mustard!! Check out the video below on how to make these mouthwatering sandwiches!

We’re taking it to Cuba with this recipe!! I have always wanted to visit Cuba, and thanks to the embargo being lifted I just may get to. But before that happens, I’m jumping the gun and sharing my Cuban pork sandwiches recipe!

You’re probably wondering how I have a Cuban sandwich recipe without ever visiting Cuba, and I must confess my recipe was inspired by Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill in Midtown Atlanta. I used to frequent the restaurant when I worked at Emory Midtown Hospital, and I fell in love with their “Rey’s Cuban Sandwich”, and have spent quite some time researching and perfecting my own version of it.These sandwiches are SUPER easy to make once the “hard” work of cooking the pork is done.

I put hard in quotes because you guys know by now, I like to keep it simple and the cooking of the pork really isn’t that difficult thanks to a shortcut…Smithfield’s Roasted Garlic & Herb Loin Filet!

Starting off with the already marinated pork loin saves out on so much time, and all you need to do is add a few more ingredients for a quick 10 minute marinade before cooking the loin filet. For the mojo pork flavor, I added cumin, orange juice and orange zest, lime juice, fresh mint, and fresh cilantro. Then I seared all sides of the loin before I finished cooking it in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the assembly of the Cuban sandwiches, you’ll need to start off with some GOOD bread. I couldn’t find the Cuban bread that Papi’s uses for their sandwiches, so a good substitute are bolillos (Mexican French bread). These are perfect to use because of their crunchy crust. You also need some dill pickles, mustard, and sliced boiled ham! I like to crisp the ham up before putting them in the sandwich.

One final thing that takes this sandwich over the top… BUTTER! I like to spread the insides of the bread with butter before grilling, an then after I assemble the sandwich I spread the top and bottom with yep, MORE BUTTER! It just gives the sandwich more flavor and helps it to get crispy and golden! Check out the recipe below!

Mojo Pork Cuban Sandwiches

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Classic Cuban sandwiches with mojo pork, crispy ham, dill pickles, and lots of mustard!!

Ingredients

For the Mojo Pork

2 pounds Smithfield Roasted Garlic & Herb Loin Filet (or a 2 pound pork filet)
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper

For the Cuban Sandwiches

6 soft Bolillo rolls, split in half lengthwise
6 thin slices of boiled ham
Softened butter, for spreading on the bread
Yellow mustard, for spreading on the bread
Cuban Mojo-Marinated Pork, or store-bought roast pork
12 slices of Swiss cheese
3 half-sour dill pickles, thinly sliced

Instructions

For the Pork

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside.
In a large resealable bag, combine the pork loin, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Seal and shake around to combine, and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Remove from bag, and season the pork with salt and pepper.
In a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, sear each side of the pork until golden brown (3 minutes per side). Remember to shake off excess marinade.
Place the pork on the rack and roast for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160.
Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest before slicing against the grain.

For the Cuban Sandwiches

Heat a skillet over medium, and add the sliced boiled ham. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, until crispy.
Spread the softened butter over the cut side of each roll. Add to the skillet and brown the cut side of the bread until it is starting to toast.
Once toasted, remove from skillet, and spread with mustard.
Layer the pork, browned ham, Swiss cheese, and sliced pickles. Top with the bread, and spread the top and bottom of the sandwich with butter.
Grill the sandwiches in the same skillet, using another heavy skillet to press down the sandwich. I used my George Foreman, and a panini press works perfectly!
Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip the sandwich, squish it again, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The outside of the sandwich should be crisp and golden and the cheese melted.
Slice in half and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1089Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1293mgCarbohydrates: 125gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 57g