Secret Pig

Pork has figured heavily in our recent Ben’s Day Wednesday meals, and this week was no exception. Though Phil and I were in Miami a few months ago, and we really wanted to try a Cuban sandwich while there, it somehow didn’t happen. This weekend, we tried a highly recommended place in Sunbury, but they were closed for a private event. Thus, we had no choice but to make them for Ben’s Day Wednesday. Were ours authentic? Of course not. We don’t really know what we’re doing, we used pork from the freezer, our house is in disarray, my school year is coming to a crescendo, and the report card noose is tightening. But were they good, you ask? Yes!

To watch Phil order meat in a foreign country is an adventure. Once in Italy, when I guess our phrase book failed us, Phil tried to determine if an item on the menu was rabbit or wild boar. He  made his fingers into bunny ears while making nibbling sounds. The waiter shook his head. Next, his fingers became tusks and he snorted. The waiter pointed excitedly, and Phil had his answer. Wild boar. Fellow diners also had their answer. Americans.

Another time, in Portugal, Phil found something called “Secret Pig” on the menu. When he asked the waitress about it, she made her fingers into a knife and, chin raised, sliced down her neck just below her jawline. We chose to interpret this as the location of this cut of meat on a pig, but I suppose it could have been a threat. “It’s called Secret Pig for a reason, and you’ll keep it a secret if you know what’s good for you.” Phil recalls that this was a particularly tasty dish, but we have no idea how to replicate it, and I’m not inclined to try. Just in case. 

By all accounts, the Cuban sandwich should be no challenge to create, but we had to improvise for the roast pork. I would have just used leftovers from the pork carnitas, but somebody ate every last tasty morsel. For breakfast. Instead, I found some cut up pork loin in the freezer, and decided to unlock the mysteries of Sophia’s pressure cooker, which I, frankly, find just as intimidating as the Secret Pig, but it was a good chance to experiment, and I wasn’t likely to get my throat slit.

Cuban Sandwiches

Roast Pork:

2 1/2 pounds cubed raw pork loin, frozen

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 onion, sliced

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup chicken broth

Juice of 1 lime

2 bay leaves

Sandwich:

1 long loaf unsliced bread (we used Italian)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

8 slices Swiss cheese

1 cup bread and butter pickles

8 slices deli ham

Olive oil

Follow pressure cooker directions with whatever your meat situation is. We just put everything in the pressure cooker, and programmed it for 23 minutes at full pressure. After it cooked, we released the steam and shredded it. If you want to use a slow cooker, I’m sure that would work, too, but obviously, for a long, long time.

For the sandwich, split the bread in half horizontally, and slather both cut sides with mustard. On the bottom half, layer half the cheese, the pickles, the ham, some of the roast pork, and the rest of the cheese. Finish with the top half of the bread. (Reserve the rest of the roast pork for another use. We recommend heating it with a can of beans, some salsa, onions, cheese, and various other things that make you happy. Encase these innards in tortillas, and there you go. Burritos. But we digress…)

Heat a grill pan over medium heat, and lightly brush it with olive oil. Place the sandwich on the grill, and put a heavy cast iron skillet or griddle on top of it, pressing it down firmly. Cook about 5 minutes on each side until sandwich is densely compressed and crispy. Slice and serve.

Ben wanted to serve the sandwich with loaded tater tots. We kind of compromised by roasting a ton of broccoli and baking some tater tots until crispy. Then we made a cheesy sauce to dunk our tots and florets in. “This is your compromise?” you ask. Wondering what happens when I give away the farm? Ben had visions of loads of cheese and beef, and I’m not sure what else, topping the tots. I didn’t ask if the picture in his mind involved ground beef or ribbons of roast beef coating his arteries beloved tots. If you are a parent, you know that some questions you don’t really want the answer to. The Secret Cow will have to remain a secret.

Our actual cheese sauce will also need to remain a secret. We’ll keep that one in The Velveeta Underground.

The Cuban sandwich was a real hit, though I don’t know how Phil would ask about the double pork situation in Spanish. If anyone could, it would be Phil. Pork without borders.