Cuban Sandwiches {Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker}

Name: Cuban Sandwiches {Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 9 h 55 min
Total time: 10 h 5 min
Yield: 8 sandwiches (6-8 depending on size)
Ingredients: 1 1 tablespoon coarse; 1 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; 1 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 1 tablespoon dried oregano; Pinch of red pepper flakes; 4 4 cloves garlic; Juice of 2 limes; Juice of 1 large or 2 medium oranges; ½ ½ cup chicken broth; 3 to 5 3 to 5 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast or pork shoulder roast; 4- 4- inch or so soft sub rolls or hoagie buns (see note); yellow mustard; Deli ham slices; swiss cheese slices; dill pickles; Red Onions

User Reviews

4.7

126 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
9 hrs 10 mins
Total Time
10 hrs 5 mins
Servings
8 sandwiches (6-8 depending on size)
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Cuban Sandwiches {Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker}

Iris Warren

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From ingredients to enjoyment, this recipe makes it easy to create something wonderful.

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Ingredients

Servings

Pork:

1 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper use less for finely ground black pepper
1 1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 4 cloves garlic finely minced
Juice of 2 limes about 3 tablespoons
Juice of 1 large or 2 medium oranges about 1/2 cup
½ ½ cup chicken broth only needed if using a pressure cooker
3 to 5 3 to 5 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast or pork shoulder roast excess skin/fat removed, cut into 3- or 4-inch cubes

Sandwiches:

4- 4- inch or so soft sub rolls or hoagie buns (see note)
yellow mustard
Deli ham slices
swiss cheese slices
dill pickles thinly sliced
Red Onions thinly sliced

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Instructions

For the pork, in a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, lime juice, and orange juice.
For the slow cooker: place the pork in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the spice mixture over the top, tossing to evenly coat the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours, until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
For the pressure cooker: place the pork in the bottom of the pressure cooker and pour the spice mixture and chicken broth over the top, tossing to evenly coat the pork. Seal the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
Shred the pork into pieces and return to the slow cooker or pressure cooker (with any remaining juices) to keep warm while assembling the sandwiches.
For the sandwiches, slice each roll/bun in half lengthwise and spread mustard on both cut halves. On the bottom half, layer ham, Swiss cheese, shredded pork, pickles and onions. If desired, the sandwich can be grilled or pressed in a panini griddle for a hot, melty version (if doing so, slap cheese on both halves of the bread before assembling). Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the pork (but do not include the buns or sandwich toppins as those are added based on personal preference).
Buns: an authentic Cuban sandwich is usually served on Cuban bread, which, thanks to a google search, is soft and often made with lard (so it crisps up without getting super tough and hard). I don't have a Latin bakery close to me, and I haven't tried my hand at Cuban bread yet, because these French bread rolls (whole wheat version here) always do the trick for a delicious Cuban sandwich. I make them slightly bigger (about 3 to 3.5 ounces of dough per bun) and longer, similar to a hoagie bun shape. Soft and super delicious. I'm sure a variety of soft, storebought rolls or buns would work here as well.
Pork: if you make the full five pounds of pork, you'll get a lot more than eight sandwiches. I almost always make a full five pounds for this recipe because the leftover pork freezes so well - which means easy, delicious sandwiches later, OR, we use the leftover pork in tacos, enchiladas, for salads, etc.
Slow Cooker: if your slow cooker tends to cook hot (even on the low setting), you might want to add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, intended for the pressure cooker method, so the pork doesn't dry out while cooking.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 Serving Calories 328kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 65g (130%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 176mg (59%) Sodium 1069mg (45%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)