Ingredients
Units Scale
- Cuban Bread
- 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons fresh lard, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- Cuban Roast Pork:
- Marinade:
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro (lightly packed)
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 3/4 cup orange juice (fresh)
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup mint leaves (lightly packed)
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves (packed)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 lb / 2 kg boneless pork shoulder
- For The Cuban Sandwich:
- 8” piece of homemade Cuban bread (strongly preferred, recipe follows) or focaccia
- 4 ounces Virginia-style smoked ham, thinly-sliced
- 2 ounces pulled Cuban roast pork
- 1 ounce top-quality Peppercorn-studded Genoa salami, thinly-sliced
- 1 ounce Swiss cheese, thinly-sliced, Boar’s Head Gold Label Switzerland Swiss Cheese preferred
- 1 medium dill pickle, cut into thirds lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- Butter
Instructions
- To make the Cuban Bread:
- To make the rolls: Mix, then knead together all of the dough ingredients — by hand, or using a stand mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, supple dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise until it’s puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk — about 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Gently fold the dough in upon itself and turn it upside-down after 30 minutes; this “turn” helps eliminate some of the excess carbon dioxide and redistributes the yeast’s food, both imperative for optimum yeast growth.
- Deflate the dough, and divide it into six pieces. Shape each piece into a rough log. Let the logs rest for 15 minutes, covered, then shape each piece into a smooth roll about 8″ long, slightly tapered at each end. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
- Let the rolls rise, covered, for 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush or spray the rolls with water, and slash one long lengthwise slit down the middle of each. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove the rolls from the oven, and cool on a rack. The rolls may be made one day in advance and stored at room temperature, or several weeks in advance and frozen.
- To make the Cuban Roast Pork:
- With a sharp knife, puncture pork in several places. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
- Combine marinade ingredients (use ½ the combined lime and orange juice) in a food processor and blend until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped.
- Rub paste all over pork, pushing mixture into punctured holes. Place pork in a large ziplock bag. Add bay leaves to the rest of the sour orange juice and pour over pork. Place in the fridge overnight (in a bowl, just to be safe).
- Remove the pork from the Marinade and bring to room temperature. Reserve the Marinade.
- Preheat oven to 170C/325F.
- Place the pork on a rack in a roasting dish (or on a couple of onions have, to elevate the pork). Cover with a lid or double layer or foil, slightly tented so it is not pressed tightly against the pork.
- Place in the oven and bake for 2 hrs 30 minutes.
- Then remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes to brown.
- Remove from the oven and place on a plate, loosely covered with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before pulling for Tampa-style Cuban Sandwiches or slicing.
- —
- To Make the Cuban Sandwich:
- Cut Cuban bread or baguette in half lengthwise.
- Layer sliced meats and cheese in the following order: ham, pork, salami and then cheese. Place pickle chips evenly on top.
- Spread mustard on top half of bread. Lightly butter both top and bottom of sandwich. Heat sandwich in press until crisp. Cut diagonally from corner to corner and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
