The unapologetic,
unashamed,
unmistakable
taste of
Pilgrims Choice.

The Recipes

Pilgrims Choice Mega Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 450g boneless pork shoulder
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of your knife
  • 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 225ml fresh orange juice
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 225ml chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 French sticks
  • 3 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 8 slices of Pilgrims Choice cheddar
  • 10 pickles
  • 8 thin slices deli ham
  • Mixed lettuce
  • Pesto to drizzle

Method

  1. Begin by braising the pork shoulder – Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you, if he’s nice (They usually are).
  2. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
  3. Set the base of your pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add 30ml of olive oil. Add garlic and chilli flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Then you can add the pork.
  4. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
  5. Pop the lid of the pressure cooker on and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
  6. To prepare the sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, Pilgrims Choice cheese, pickles, ham, pork then more cheese (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
  7. At this stage, you can just melt your sandwich in a hot oven and add some lettuce and a drizzle of pesto or you can follow below for the fried method.
  8. To cook, heat a large cast iron frying pan or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the pan and top with another heavy pan and a couple of heavyweights (bricks or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy.