The Cuban Sandwich

The Cuban might just be my very favorite sandwich... It has so many flavors and I love each of them. Bonus - because you make the pork in the crock-pot, it's super easy to throw together. It's great for guests too! Just arrange all of the meats, cheese, and toppings so everyone can build their own sandwich.

The Cuban Sandwich

4 pounds pork loin, cut into 4 pieces

3/4 cup fresh orange juice (or OJ from a carton is fine too)

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 limes

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 whole yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

salt & pepper

yellow mustard (you could also use Dijon or spicy mustard if you like)

Black forest ham

sliced hard salami

sliced Swiss cheese

dill pickles, chopped

Pat the pork loin dry and season with salt & pepper. Brown the pork in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook all sides until evenly browned (work in batches if necessary). Add the pork and the juices from the pan to the crock-pot.

Pour the orange juice and chicken broth over the pork in the crock-pot. Slice the limes in half, squeeze out the juice of each over the pork. After juicing the limes, throw them in on top of the meat. Add the garlic, oregano, parsley, cumin, bay leaf, and yellow onion. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 2 1/2 hours or the low setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove the lime halves and bay leaf. Shred the pork and stir to distribute the juices.

To make the sandwiches, spread mustard on a fresh roll, add some pork.  Top with a slice of ham, a slice of salami, a slice of Swiss cheese, some chopped pickles, red onion, and cilantro leaves. 

Enjoy!