Slow Cooker Cubano Sandwiches Recipes

SLOW-COOKER CUBAN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Prepare the pork: Mix the olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, lime juice and orange juice in a small bowl. Make slits all over the pork with a paring knife and rub with the oil mixture. Transfer the pork to a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker and top with any juices from the bowl. Cover and cook on low until tender, 8 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a bowl and let cool slightly. Shred into thick chunks with 2 forks, then return to the slow cooker and keep warm in the cooking liquid.
• Assemble the sandwiches: Slice the roll or rolls in half lengthwise and smear both sides with mustard. Layer on the ham, cheese, pulled pork, pickles and onion and cut into portions. Or, start on opposing ends and race to the middle!

SLOW-COOKER CUBAN PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Rub the pork with the garlic and salt and place in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken stock, orange zest, and orange juice. Cover and cook on low until the pork is very tender, 7 to 8 hours. Pull pork into 1- to 2-inch pieces; toss with the lime juice. Return to slow cooker and keep warm.
• Preheat broiler with the oven rack 6 inches from heat. Split the rolls length-wise. Spread the mustard on the bottom halves and top evenly with the pork, ham, and Swiss cheese. Broil just until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the pickles and sandwich with the tops of the rolls.

THE ULTIMATE CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.
• Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
• Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
• To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
• To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.

CUBAN SANDWICH WITH SLOW-COOKER PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Rub the pork all over with the cumin, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place in a slow cooker and drizzle with the orange and lime juices. Cook on high heat until the meat is tender and falling apart, 6 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely shred.
• Spread one side of each loaf with mayonnaise and the other with mustard. Build the sandwiches with the pulled pork, ham, Swiss and pickles (you will have some pulled pork left over).
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place 2 of the sandwiches in the skillet and cover with another skillet, weighing it down with a heavy can or pot. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the sandwiches over, replace the top skillet and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches, adding the remaining butter to the skillet.

SLOW-COOKER CUBANO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Rub pork with 3 tablespoons mustard, season with pepper and place in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Add ham and pickles, including pickle juice. Cover and cook on low until tender, turning halfway through, about 6 hours. , Shred pork with 2 forks. Sprinkle cheese over meat mixture; cover and cook until cheese melts, about 30 minutes. , When ready to serve, slice rolls and toast lightly in a toaster oven or broiler. Spread remaining mustard evenly over both sides. Using a slotted spoon, top rolls with meat mixture. Serve immediately.

CUBANO PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients. Cut roast into thirds; rub with oil. Rub spice mixture over meat; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate, covered, 24 hours., In a large saucepan, combine onion, wine, juices, bay leaf and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 45 minutes. Strain sauce, discarding onion and seasonings., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown roast on all sides; drain. Transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Pour sauce over meat. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred pork with 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker; heat through., Preheat oven to 325°. Split bread horizontally. Hollow out bottoms of loaves, leaving 3/4-in. shells. Spread relish and mustard inside shells. Layer with meat and cheese. Replace tops., Wrap sandwiches tightly in heavy-duty foil. Place on baking sheets. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Cut each crosswise into 12 slices.

SLOW COOKER CUBAN PORK

Steps:

• Cut pork loin into 3 equal pieces.
• Turn a slow cooker to Low. Add orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, and peppercorns, then add onion.
• Mix garlic, salt, and oregano into a paste and rub all over pork pieces. Place pork in the slow cooker.
• Cook on Low until pork is slightly pink in the center, 9 to 10 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Pull apart meat with 2 forks and let sit for 1 hour before serving.

SLOW COOKED CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix the oil, salt, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, lime juice and orange juice in a small bowl. Make slits in the pork with a paring knife and rub liberally all over with the oil mixture. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the remaining juices from the bowl. Cover and cook on low until tender, flipping once halfway through, about 6 hours.
• Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Shred the pork into thick chunks with 2 forks. Set the pork aside and keep warm in the cooking liquid.
• Slice the roll open and smear both sides with mustard. Layer on the Swiss, ham, pulled pork and pickles. Place the onions over half the sub and cut into portions. Or, start on opposing ends and race to the middle.

SLOW-COOKER CUBAN PULLED-PORK PANINI SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Pierce the pork roast all over with a small knife. Place the pork in the bottom of a large slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, cumin and House Seasoning. Pour the mixture over the pork and rub it into the meat, turning to evenly coat it. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours, until the pork is extremely tender.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Remove and discard the fat and use 2 forks to pull the pork into chunks. Use a large spoon to skim the fat from the surface of the liquids in the slow cooker. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker and stir well. Taste the meat and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper, if desired. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15 to 30 minutes, so that the pork can further absorb the flavors of the cooking liquids while you prepare the sandwich ingredients.
• To assemble the sandwich, slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the bottom half of the bread and then layer 1 package of the Swiss cheese, all of the pickle slices, all of the ham slices and a generous amount of pulled pork. Top the pork with the remaining 1 package of Swiss cheese and place the other half of the bread loaf on top of the Swiss cheese.
• Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf into approximately 6-inch (15-cm) lengths. Brush both sides of each sandwich with the melted butter and cook the sandwiches in a panini press or a hot skillet until the cheese melts and the exterior gets toasty. If you are cooking the sandwich in a hot skillet, cover the top of the sandwich with aluminum foil and place a heavy pot or cast iron skillet on top of the foil. Flip the sandwich once the bottom is toasted and toast the other side. Cut the sandwich into slices and serve hot.

CHEF JOHN'S CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne together in a bowl to make the sauce.
• Trim off ends of bread. Cut loaf in half and evenly split bread to make tops and bottoms of 2 sandwiches. Spread each half on both sides generously with the mayo/mustard sauce.
• Divide sandwich ingredients between the two bottom halves in this order: 2 slices Swiss cheese, 3 slices ham, hot cooked pork, pickle slices, and 2 more slices of Swiss cheese. Place tops on sandwiches.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet and press down with a heavy weight (such as another skillet or foil-wrapped bricks). Toast sandwiches until bread is crisp and filling is heated through, 3 or 4 minutes per side.