Jordan Kahn's Pork Belly Cubano
Chef Jordan Kahn of Vespertine, Meteora and Destroyer makes his version of Cubano sandwiches, which he calls “a deeply nostalgic flavor memory for me, growing up in a Cuban household.” His Cubano features roasted pork belly, brined for 12 hours and rubbed with a boldly flavorful herb-packed mojo marinade. Cubanos are “traditionally made with pernil,” or slow-roasted pork shoulder, he says. “We have chosen pork belly as a clever nod to the Chinese influence in Cuba — a fusion of Chinese and Cuban that stays independent of each other. The dishes don’t blend. This is more of a Cantonese-style pork belly with crispy skin but using Cuban flavors.”
With the sandwich, Kahn says the perfect accompaniments are mariquitas Cubanas, or fried banana chips, plus a mamey milkshake made with the luscious fruit, which is a kind of sapote. Find the recipes for the mariquitas Cubanas and mamey milkshake at the highlighted links.
Note: The bread is from Cuban market El Nuevo Mundo; you can substitute the two loaves of pan de agua with four large Mexican bolillos. Calamansi juice is available at Filipino markets. If you don’t have a sandwich press, you can press the sandwich in a large skillet one side at a time until both sides are toasted and the cheese is melted.
You will have more pork belly than you need for the sandwiches. Wrap any leftover pork belly and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store any leftover mojo rub and mojo vinaigrette in the refrigerator in covered containers for up to two weeks; reserve for another use.
Watch the video below — part of our “Chef That!” series — to see how Kahn makes the sandwich.
Jordan Kahn of Vespertine, Meteora and Destroyer turns crisp-skinned pork belly into a cheesy Cubano sandwich with Gruyère, pickles and mustard.
Make the brine: Toast the peppercorns and cumin seeds in a pan over medium heat just until they begin to release their oils and are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so that they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Toast the bay leaves in the same pan over medium heat until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Using a high-speed blender or spice grinder, grind the peppercorns and cumin; set aside. Grind the bay leaves, then sift and add to the pepper and cumin.
Put the water in a stockpot along with the spices, garlic cloves and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from the heat and add crushed ice to cool the brine.
Put the pork belly in a high-sided container large enough to hold the meat and brine. Submerge the pork belly in the brine and let sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Meanwhile, make the mojo rub: Combine the garlic, cilantro, oregano, peppercorns, cumin, bay leaf and olive oil in a high-speed blender and blend into a paste. Set aside until ready to use.
To roast the pork belly: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pork belly from the brine and pat the skin dry. Score the skin of the pork belly (without cutting into the meat) in a ½-inch-wide cross-hatch pattern across the entire surface and set aside.
Place the pork belly skin-side down on a work surface. Rub a generous amount (about ½ to 1 cup) of mojo rub on the flesh side of the belly and up the sides. Leave the skin without any rub.
Tightly wrap foil around the flesh side of the pork belly, up the sides as well, leaving the skin exposed on top. Cover the skin with a layer of kosher salt (1 to 2 tablespoons). Roast until the meat is tender and the skin is golden, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then brush the kosher salt off of the skin.
Set the oven to broil. Place the pork belly under the broiler until the skin is crispy, bubbly and golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes, checking every five minutes. Remove from the broiler, remove the foil (but keep the juices) and allow to cool before preparing for sandwich assembly.
Make the mojo vinaigrette: Combine the calamansi juice, lime juice, sea salt, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, cilantro and habanero chile in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Continue blending and stream in the oil until emulsified. Set aside.
Assemble the sandwiches: Cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise so that you have a top and a bottom half. On the bottom half, brush yellow mustard on the cut side of the bread so that the entire surface is covered in a thin layer. On the top half, brush some of the leftover mojo rub onto the cut side of the bread.
Cut the pork belly into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices. Lay enough sliced pork belly to cover on the bottom half of the bread. Spoon some of the reserved juices over the pork belly. Add a layer of ham, then a layer of sliced cheese. Close the sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients. The sandwiches can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Cut each loaf in half so that you have four sandwiches. Prepare the sandwich press by setting to medium heat.
Brush the top and bottom panels of the sandwich press with butter. Place the sandwich in the press and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately with the mojo vinaigrette for dipping.
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