Some more favorites from my childhood…
First you roast the pig and have a grand feast then you use the leftover pork for sandwiches, but first the sauce and marinate….
Mojo Sauce for Roast Pig
Garlic Cloves
Salt
Black peppercorns (whole)
Oregano
Sour orange juice
(In a pinch, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
The key to making Mojo is in the proportions. The nice thing is that you can make exactly the amount you need.
For a pig, we use four or five large HEADS of garlic! That's approximately 70 to 80 cloves.
Use a mortar and pestle.
For every ten cloves of garlic, add 1/2-teaspoon salt, six black peppercorns, and some oregano. Mash them all together into a paste. Scoop the paste out into a separate bowl. Continue this process until all of the garlic (all five heads) is mashed.
Stir in sour orange juice. (Five heads of garlic should be added to about 1 quart of sour orange juice to make a Mojo for a whole pig.) Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer. Use immediately to season the pig or refrigerate for later use.
To make a smaller amount, reduce the amounts, but keep the proportions. For example, to make 1 cup of Mojo, use about 1 head of garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 12 black peppercorns, and 1-cup sour orange juice.
Mojo with Oil, for Chicken, fish and stuff
3 heads garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice
(In a pinch, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
1 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons oregano
1 cup Spanish olive oil
Mash garlic, salt, and peppercorns into a paste, using a mortar and pestle. Stir in sour orange juice, onion, and oregano. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer.
In a saucepan, heat olive oil to medium hot (approximately 280 degrees F) and remove from heat. Carefully whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture (prepared above) until well blended.
The Real Cuban sandwich: Sandwich Cubano
Cuban bread or (Substitute French bread if you must, but NOT a baguette!)
Butter, softened
1 pound ham sliced (Use a good quality ham.)
1 pound lechón asado (roasted Cuban pork) sliced
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced (Use a mild Swiss, like Baby Swiss, it has only a few holes.)
Sliced dill pickles (dill "Sandwich Stackers" work great)
Yellow mustard (optional)
Onion, sliced thin (optional)
Mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato (NEVER!!)
To make four generous sandwiches:
Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan. Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half and spread butter on both halves (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!
NOTE: Most people use a sweet cured ham (jamón dulce) or bolo ham for Cuban sandwiches. If you can find these hams in your area, great. Otherwise, look for a slightly sweet, soft textured ham with a mild taste. You don't want the flavor of the ham to overpower the rest of the ingredients! Also, never use shaved ham or pork in a Cuban sandwich!
Place the sandwich on the hot griddle (fry pan) sprayed with a little "Pam" or lightly greased. Place a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich to flatten. (You really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!)
Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not TOO HOT! Otherwise, the crust will burn before the cheese melts. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
Recipe from the book: "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban"
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