Pressure Cooker Cuban Pulled Pork Sandwiches Food

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.

PORK CARNITAS - SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and pepper.
• Make slits in the pork with a paring knife and rub liberally all over with the oil mixture.
• Place pork in the slow cooker, along with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour the remaining juices from the bowl over the pork.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until an internal temperature of 202 degrees F is reached.
• Transfer pork to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using tongs or forks, shred into thick chunks.
• You can enjoy as is or take it a step further by crisping it up in a pan, which is recommended!
• To pan fry: warm a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid over-crowding, spread the pork in the pan in an even layer, drizzling with some of the juices. Once the juice evaporates and the bottom of the pork is golden and crispy, sear it quickly on the other side and then remove from the skillet. You want it browned all over, but not dry.
• Serve as desired. You can't go wrong with any of our suggestions!
• Note: If f you have time and can remember, I do recommend marinating the pork overnight, for even more incredible flavor. Combine everything in the slow cooker the night before then place it in the fridge (the insert, not the base). Take it out in the morning and let it warm slightly, then set it to cook.
• Note: More serving suggestions, storage, tips, and alternative cooking methods are included in the full article.

PRESSURE COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat an electric pressure cooker on the saute mode. When hot, add half of the olive oil. Add half of the pork along with half of the salt, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Saute until the meat is very crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Set the meat aside on a plate. Add the remaining olive oil, meat, salt, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and cook until the meat is crisp and brown, another 10 minutes.
• Add the first half of the meat back to the pressure cooker. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on manual for 40 minutes.
• After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release. After 15 minutes, release the rest of the steam using quick release.
• Remove the lid from the pressure cooker. Remove the pork and onions to a baking sheet. Shred the pork with 2 forks, pour over the barbecue sauce and toss to coat. Serve with the buns and Pickled Jalapenos and Onions.
• If not serving right away, transfer to a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven at 300 degrees F until ready to serve.
• Put the jalapenos and red onions in a 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jar.
• In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Pour the hot liquid over the veggies in the jar, screw on the lid and set aside. When it has cooled to room temperature, transfer the jar to the fridge to chill for a minimum of an hour, which will allow the vegetables to pickle. The pickles will last in the fridge for 3 days. Serve them on pulled pork sandwiches.

CUBAN-STYLE PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Place onion wedges and broth in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, 5 garlic cloves, vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cumin, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; rub over pork. Add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours., Remove meat; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. In another small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard and remaining garlic and lemon juice; spread over buns. Layer bun bottoms with pork, cheese, sliced onion and pickles; replace tops., Cook on a panini maker or indoor grill until buns are browned and cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes.

CUBAN ROAST PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Directions (Oven Version with Crackling):.
• Puree the garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, rum, olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, place 2/3 of the mixture into a large sealable bag with the pork and marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Pull the pork out of the fridge 1 hour before roasting, take it out of the bag, set it with its skin side up, wipe the skin dry and let sit for 1 hour.
• Score the skin in 1/2 inch intervals and rub salt generously into the skin.
• Place the pork in a roasting pan, skin side up, roast in a preheated 450F oven for 20 minutes or until the skin has become crackling, ie it has become golden, hardened and crispy.
• Reduce the heat to 325F and roast until the pork reaches 170F for slicing or 195F for shredding, about 2-3 hours or 4-6 hours respectively. If the skin starts to get too dark tent it loosely with foil without folding the edges over to prevent steaming.
• Let the pork rest for 15 minutes, remove crackling and cut into small pieces, discard any extra fat and then slice or shred the pork. Remove the fat from the juices and serve with sliced pork or mix into shredded pork.
• Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of the juices from the roasting pan in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute until tender and caramelized, about 7-10 minutes.
• Serve the pork with the caramelized onions and remaining mojo.
• Directions (Slow Cooker Version):.
• Puree the garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, rum, olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, place 2/3 of the mixture into a large sealable bag with the pork and marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Place the pork in a slow cooker/crock-pot with the skin side up along with the marinade and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
• Let the pork rest for 15 minutes, discard the fat layer and then shred the pork.
• Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of the juices from the slow cooker/crock-pot in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute until tender and caramelized, about 7-10 minutes.
• Serve the pork with the caramelized onions and remaining mojo.
• Tip: Mix some mojo into the pork after pulling it; man is that mojo ever good! Make sure to make enough pork to make Cuban Sandwiches with leftovers!

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.

CUBAN PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a 6- or 7-qt. slow cooker, combine first 9 ingredients. Add pork; cook, covered, on low until tender, 8-10 hours. Remove roast; shred with 2 forks. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook meat in batches until lightly browned and crisp in spots. , Cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise. If desired, spread mustard over cut sides of bread. Layer bottom halves of bread with pickles, pork, ham and cheese. Replace tops. Cut each loaf into 8 slices.

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.

PRESSURE COOKER GARLICKY CUBAN PORK

Steps:

• In a blender or mini food processor, combine the garlic, grapefruit juice, lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt; process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pork and bay leaf; toss to combine. Marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate for up to 6 hours).
• Using the sauté function set on high if available, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pressure cooker (or use a large skillet). Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and shake the meat to remove any excess liquid. Cook until it is browned on all sides, about 12 minutes (you will need to do this in batches, transferring the browned pork pieces to a plate as you go).
• When all the pork is browned, return the pieces to the pot along with any juices from the plate. (If you used a skillet, add 1 tablespoon water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the skillet well to include all the browned bits stuck to the bottom.) Add the reserved marinade to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 80 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Remove the pork from the cooking liquid (jus). Taste the jus, and if it seems bland or too thin, boil it down either in the pressure cooker on the sauté setting or in a separate pot on the stove until it thickens slightly and intensifies in flavor, 7 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add a bit of salt if necessary. If you'd like to degrease the jus, use a fat separator to do so, or just let the jus settle and spoon the fat off the top.
• Shred the meat, using your hands or two forks. Toss the meat with the jus to taste (be generous-1 1/2 to 2 cups should do it), and serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.