Paseo Cuban Roast Pork Sandwich

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it was enjoyed by all of us (hurray!).  With each bite of my sandwich, I had to have a pickled jalapeno pepper because I was loving the tang and heat that they added.  (I had never had a pickled jalapeno before tonight and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them.)

 

Paseo Cuban Pork Sandwich

Baguette

Garlic mayo

Roast pork

2 large yellow onions

Olive oil

Lettuce

Cilantro

Pickled jalapeno

Roast Pork

3 cups orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lime, juice of

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3-4 pound pork shoulder (bone-in)

Garlic mayonnaise

1 bulb garlic

Olive oil for drizzling

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lime, juice of

1/2 tablespoon dill pickle relish

Make the pork:  Combine the orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, chopped garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large Ziploc bag.  Place the pork in the vessel or bag and marinate for 12-24 hours.  When the pork is ready, save the marinade and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Sear the meat on all sides in a lightly greased frying pan or skillet until it is nicely browned.  Remove the pork and place in a baking dish (BUT DON'T WASH THE SKILLET/PAN-save it for later) and pour marinade into the baking dish.  Tent the meat with foil and bake for 2 hours.  Remove foil and cook uncovered for another 2 hours, basting the meat with the marinade every 15 minutes and turning the meat after an hour.  Remove from oven when the meat is fork-tender and comes of the bone easily.  Shred the pork with two forks.

Make the garlic mayonnaise:  While the pork is cooking in the oven, slice the top off the garlic bulb and place it in a small baking dish or on a piece of foil that has been pulled up at the edges (to form a bowl).  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and bake in the oven (next to the pork) for 30 or until the garlic is soft.  Peel the skins off the garlic cloves and mash the garlic into a paste.  Combine the garlic with mayonnaise, olive oil, lime juice, and pickle relish.  Stir until blended and refrigerate until ready to use.

Caramelize the onions:  Peel and slice the onions into 1/4-inch strips.  Heat a little olive oil on medium flame in the same pan you used to sear the pork.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  Remove from heat when onions are caramelized.

Assemble:  cut and 8-inch long piece of a baguette or other similarly shaped bread that has a nice, crusty outside and a soft, chewy inside.  Slice it in half, lengthwise.  Spread garlic mayonnaise on both pieces of bread and bake or toast in oven until the mayonnaise starts to bubble and puff.  Remove from the oven.  Layer with pork, onions, lettuce, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos on bottom piece of bread.  Top with the other half of bread and serve.

Recipe adapted just a tiny bit from Use Real Butter