A spicy pulled pork Cuban sandwich perfectly complemented with sharp pickled zucchini, salty salami and creamy Monterey Jack cheese. It might be messy, but it’s certainly worth it!
You’ll need:
ZUCCHINI PICKLES
• 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 large zucchini, sliced into ⅛"-thick rounds
• ½ large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons salt
PULLED PORK & ASSEMBLY
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 sprig oregano (can be substituted for 2 teaspoon of dried)
• 1 sprig rosemary (can be substituted for 2 teaspoon of dried)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
• 500ml of chicken stock
• 1 3lb. skinless, boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 250ml cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 brioche buns, split
• 250g of salami
• 8 slices of Monterey Jack cheese (you can substitute this for your favourite cheese)
Here’s what you need to do:
ZUCCHINI PICKLES
Bring vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard powder, and mustard seeds to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool.
Toss zucchini, onion, and salt in a large bowl and let stand until zucchini releases moisture, 30–35 minutes. Pat zucchini and onion dry and transfer to a large jar. Pour pickling liquid over vegetables to submerge. Cover and chill at least 12 hours.
Top tip: Zucchini can be pickled 4 days ahead. Keep chilled.
PULLED PORK & ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 300°. Combine onion, carrot, celery, oregano, rosemary, chilli flakes, and stock in a large pot. Place pork on top of vegetables and drizzle with oil; season pork with salt and pepper. Cover and braise, turning pork occasionally, until pork is just falling apart, 3½–4 hours. Let cool.
Transfer pork to a large bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and shred with a couple of forks. Add cooking liquid as needed to moisten pork (you may not use all of it).
Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 400°. Mix mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.
Place both halves of buns, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Layer salami, pork, and cheese on bottom halves of buns and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Top bottom halves of buns with pickles; spread top halves of buns with reserved mayonnaise mixture and form sandwiches.
Top tip: Pork can be braised and shredded 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
Recipe courtesy of BonAppetit.com