Ivy Leage Cuban Recipe

Make marinade

In a medium bowl whisk together orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, oregano and brown sugar until sugar dissolves.

Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade in a small container and set aside for basting during roasting. Place the pork loin in a resealable bag or shallow dish and pour remaining marinade over pork. Massage to coat, seal or cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove pork from refrigerator about 20 minutes before roasting to come closer to room temperature.

Pat pork dry with paper towels, then rub with olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet or in a small roasting pan fitted with a rack.

Brush the reserved 1/4 cup marinade over the pork. Roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F (63°C), about 25–35 minutes depending on thickness.

Remove pork from oven and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain into 1/8–1/4" slices. Keep warm. Reserve any pan juices to drizzle on sandwiches if desired.

While pork roasts, make the slaw. In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Add thinly sliced cabbage and red onion to the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to soften, or refrigerate until assembly.

Preheat a stovetop sandwich press, griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. If using a skillet, have a heavy pan or foil-wrapped bricks available to press sandwiches.

Split rolls horizontally. Spread about 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard on the bottom half of each roll and 1/2 tablespoon on the top half (adjust to taste).

Layer 2 slices of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Top with 3–4 slices of warm roasted pork per sandwich (about 4 oz total pork per serving), then a quarter-cup of sliced pickles per sandwich. If using slaw, add about 1/3 cup slaw on top of the pickles. Finish with remaining cheese slice and close the roll.

Spread a thin layer of softened butter on the outside cut faces of each sandwich (top and bottom). Place sandwich on the hot press or skillet, buttered side down and then butter the top side.

Press firmly with the press or weighted pan and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3–5 minutes per side if using skillet and flipping once, or 4–6 minutes total in a sandwich press. If cheese hasn’t fully melted, reduce heat slightly and press a little longer.

Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute, then slice in half diagonally and serve immediately. Optionally drizzle a teaspoon of reserved pan juices over the pork before closing sandwich for extra moisture.