One evening a while back, one of the Fashionistas was driving home with her hubby when she noticed a line of people standing outside a little shack...her curiosity was piqued. I would have driven right on by, not even noticing the line, but nothing escapes this Fashionista. She immediately had her hubby stop the car - she wanted to know what was SO GOOD that people would actually wait. When she got out of the car the aroma emanating from the shack was so thick with spices that it practically grabbed hold of her nostrils and carried her to the back of the line where she happily started to salivate. Once inside the shack she listened to the orders being placed by those in front of her - fearing a scene from Seinfeld's The Soup Nazi - she quickly ordered and asked no questions. Two Pork Roast Sandwiches to go and minutes later she was back in her car devouring them like a ravenous beast.
The Paseo. That's the name of the shack with the incredible Cuban sandwiches. It's been written up in Bon Appetit and every Seattle publication...even I have written about it before in this sacred venue...about trying to duplicate their sandwiches without much luck. This time, however, I'm so close that my Patronus is a dead ringer for Fidel himself.
Both Fashionistas and their offspring frequent The Paseo on a weekly basis - they are greeted in the same way as Norm was at Cheers. Each visit they very coyly try to illicit an ingredient or two out of the owner...gently flipping their shiny brunette manes whilst the teensiest of giggles passes their lips, they flash their mega-watt smiles and bat their come-hither-eyes...they do their best and yet, to date, not one teaspoonful of a hint has been garnered.
This recipe has a few key components...the first being the roast must be marinated for at least 24 hours. Second, it must be seared on all sides in a frying pan before being put in the crock pot or the oven. The last component is the Aioli Mayonnaise - without it this is just an ordinary sandwich. Use the jalapenos in the sauce...you need them for flavor but you don't have to eat them.
Oh, one more thing...this is not something you can just whip up for dinner in an hour. This is a make-ahead dish...you must make the mayonnaise and marinate the roast for at least 24 hours ahead of when you want to serve - so it's the perfect party dish - everything is done ahead of time and at the last minute you just assemble the sandwiches.
This recipe might look harder than it is because of the long list of ingredients but really, all you do is make a rub for the roast, a marinade and then a mayonnaise so don't let the length of this intimidate you - it'll be worth it!
Cuban Pork Roast Sandwiches - Adapted from about 5 recipes and many attempts
The Rub:
1 (4 to 5 pound) pork roast (loin, shoulder or butt)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used a coarse smoked salt - do not use table salt, it just dissolves)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Adobo Marinade:
1 cup orange juice
juice from one lime
1 onion, peeled into paper thin rings
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
Aioli Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jalapeno, thickly sliced, seeds removed
French rolls or baguette
Romaine lettuce
Make the mayonnaise: Make this at least a day or two ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld. Mix all ingredients, (except the French rolls and romaine lettuce!) and keep chilled and covered in the refrigerator.
Make the rub: Rinse and dry pork roast. Make 1/4-inch deep slashes over the entire surface of the pork roast, set aside. Combine the garlic, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small mixing bowl. Mash all of the ingredients together to make a paste. Spread this paste all over the pork and rub it deep into the slashes in the surface. Place the pork in a very large Ziploc-style bag and set aside.
Make the Adobo marinade: Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour this sauce over the pork in the plastic bag, turning over and over to coat the pork. Put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 24 hours, turning every now and then.
Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator an hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. In a large skillet, add two tablespoons of oil and brown the roast on all sides. If you're using a crock pot, set it to high, and place the browned roast in the crock, pouring the marinade over the top. The pork roast needs to cook in the crock pot for 5 to 6 hours. If you're roasting this in the oven, put the roast in a deep baking dish, add the marinade and cover tightly with foil. Roast in oven for 5 to 6 hours at 250 degrees.
When the pork is thoroughly cooked it will be very tender and nearly falling apart. Remove from the crock pot or oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Using a large fork, remove the onions from the crock pot or baking dish and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the marinade to the aioli mayonnaise and mix to combine.
Assemble the sandwiches: Slice baguette lengthwise. Using a brush, apply the aioli mayonnaise liberally to both sides of the baguette. (If you don't want to eat the jalapenos remove from the sauce now.) Shred the pork roast with a fork and place pieces of pork on top of the baguette. Top with some of the onions and add lettuce. Makes 15 sandwiches. (I used 3 baguettes, 5 sandwiches per baguette.)
These sandwiches were heaped with pork but the mister said there still wasn't enough...so my apologies to my guests - I certainly did not mean to skimp on the meat! The lesson to be learned here is this, load up the baguettes with as much of the pork as they can hold and then add a little extra - that will surely please every critic in the crowd.
