Famous Miami Cuban Sandwich

Ingredients

pork marinade

• 1 1/4 lbs boneless pork roast or pork ribs or boneless pork chops or pork tenderloins
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon paprika (preferably hot)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cuban rolls (Authentic Cuban Rolls recipe)
• 1/3 lb smoked ham, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 large dill pickles, sliced
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. 1

   ROASTING THE PORK: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together (all of the ingredients except the pork), and rub this mixture over all surfaces of the pork. Cover well, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

2. 2

   Place the pork in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish, and roast it in a preheated 425°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until cooked through. Remove the pork from the oven, and cool it completely before slicing thinly.

3. 3

   ASSEMBLING THE SANDWICH: Slice the Cuban loaves in half horizontally. Brush the cut surfaces of the rolls with olive oil or melted butter. Layer the sandwiches as follows: Swiss cheese, sliced pickle, ham, sliced roast pork, then additional cheese.

4. 4

   Now comes the somewhat challenging part. You want to grill these sandwiches, top and bottom, while at the same time flattening them slightly. This helps meld all of the filling ingredients. Heat two large skillets, or a griddle, to medium, about 325°F Lightly grease the griddle and/or skillets. Brush the bottoms of the sandwiches lightly with olive oil or melted butter. Place them in the greased pan(s). Brush the tops with oil or butter. Top them with a piece of parchment paper or foil, then a flat sheet pan, or other flat, non-meltable object—the point is to provide a flat surface for a weight. Place something heavy atop the pan—a teakettle filled with water makes a good weight, as does a clean brick wrapped in aluminum foil.

5. 5

   Grill the sandwiches for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, checking often to make sure the bottoms aren't burning. Adjust the heat downward if the bottoms are becoming brown after only a couple of minutes. Turn the sandwiches over and grill for several more minutes, until they're slightly crisp on both sides, and the cheese is melting. Remove from the heat, cut the sandwiches in 2, and serve warm.