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Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cuban mojo pulled pork sandwiches are made with citrus-garlic-marinated pork shoulder baked until fork-tender, then shredded and layered with ham, pickles, and Swiss cheese. Pressed in a skillet until the bread is crisp and deeply golden, each sandwich has a rich, tangy mojo flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 28 minutes
Marinating and resting 10 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 15 hours 8 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Cuban
Calories: 950
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pork
  • 1.5 cup orange juice
  • 0.5 cup fresh lime juice
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 lb pork shoulder boneless (Boston butt), trimmed of excess surface fat and cut into 3 large pieces
For the sandwiches
  • 8 Cuban rolls or hoagie rolls 6-inch, split horizontally
  • 0.5 cup yellow mustard
  • 1 lb deli ham thinly sliced
  • 24 dill pickle chips
  • 8 oz Swiss cheese sliced
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Dutch oven
  • 1 12-inch skillet
  • 1 heavy skillet

Method
 

Make the mojo pork
  1. Whisk the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Add the pork and turn to coat; cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, turning the pieces once.
  3. Heat the oven to 300°F.
  4. Transfer the pork and all the marinade to a 6-quart Dutch oven.
  5. Cover and bake for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and reaches 195°F to 205°F.
  6. Rest the pork in the cooking liquid for 20 minutes.
  7. Shred the pork and toss with enough liquid to keep it moist.
Assemble and press the sandwiches
  1. Spread mustard over the cut sides of the rolls.
  2. Layer each roll with ham, shredded pork, 3 pickle chips, and Swiss cheese, then close the sandwiches.
  3. Brush the outsides of the sandwiches with melted butter.
  4. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  5. Cook the sandwiches in batches of 2, pressing them with a second heavy skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the bread is crisp and deeply golden and the cheese has melted.

Notes

For the best texture, toss the shredded pork with just enough cooking liquid to keep it moist without making the sandwiches soggy. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; the pork freezes well, though assembled sandwiches are best fresh. Use gluten-free rolls for a gluten-free option.