Slow-Cooker-Pork Cubanos with Fried Plantain Chips

The Cuban sandwich, sometimes called a “cubano,” is a deceptively simple combination of roast pork, ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard between two pieces of bread. But this isn’t your average ham and cheese. The cubano sandwich is more complex in flavor and texture—especially when made with select bread and slow-roasted pork.

If you can’t find authentic Cuban bread, most recipes call for substituting Italian or French breads—not baguettes; those are too skinny and crusty. I used an Italian continental loaf in this recipe, cut diagonally into 6-inch-long slices, about 1/3-inch thick. It has a soft middle texture with just enough chewy crust to bring it together.

Italian Continental Bread Loaf

While you can easily purchase pork pre-cooked in delis and markets, the best cubanos include homemade, slow-roasted meat, braised in common Cuban flavors: orange, lime, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cilantro. Simply place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and walk away. Several hours later, you’ll have richly flavored, succulent meat ready to pull and pile onto one of the most scrumptious sandwiches you’ve ever tasted.

Eye of Pork Roast

Slow-Cooker Aromatics for the Pork

Since most roasts you find will make more than enough for the four sandwiches in this recipe, freeze the leftover meat to use for tasty, pulled-pork barbecue sandwiches within a few weeks.

Turn the cubanos into a complete Cuban meal by adding a side of plantain chips—thin slices of the fruit simply fried in a little peanut oil and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. They’re crispy around the edges with a little banana softness in the center.

If you’re not familiar with plantains, be aware that they don’t peel as easily as bananas. One quick way to remove the peel is to snip off both ends of the plantain, then cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half in half lengthwise to make plantain quarters. Each quarter should now be easy to peel.

Quartered Plantain Ready to Peel

Plantain buying tip: Fruit with a yellowish-green peel (with some dark spots) is best for frying. Bright green plantains can be a bit tough and bitter, and the very ripe dark brown ones are too soft to turn into chips. Go middle of the road for this recipe.

Semi-Ripe Plantains

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Cubanos

• 1 small onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 orange, sliced into thin rings
• 1 large lime, sliced into thin rings
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1 tsp cumin, divided
• 1 tsp dried oregano, divided
• 2 lb boneless pork loin (eye of pork roast)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loose cup cilantro sprigs
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 slices Cuban or similar-style bread, about 6 inches long and 1/3-inch thick
• yellow or Dijon mustard (yellow is most authentic), to taste
• 8 thin slices cooked ham
• 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
• dill pickle slices, to taste
• olive oil, for brushing

For the Plantain Chips

• 3 large, semi-ripened plantains (yellowish green, not dark brown)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil, plus more as needed
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the Cubanos

1. Place half the onion, orange, and lime slices in the bottom of a slow-cooker. Add 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cumin and oregano. Lay the pork on top (the roast may be in 2 pieces) and season with salt and pepper.
2. Repeat with the remaining onion, orange, lime, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Scatter the cilantro springs over all and pour the broth around the edges.

Pork Ready to Cook

1. Cook on high for 4 hours, then reduce the heat to low and cook 2 hours longer, until the pork roast is fork-tender. 
2. Remove to a large plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat into shreds with your fingers.

Pork Roast out of the Slow-Cooker

Pulled Pork Roast

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
2. Spread 1 side of all bread slices with mustard. Lay 2 slices of ham on each of 4 bread slices. Spread about 1/2 cup of shredded pork each on top of the ham. Top with cheese slices and pickles and place the tops on the sandwiches. Press gently.

Mustard and Ham Added

Roast Pork Added

Cheese and Pickles Added

1. Brush the grill pan with oil and place 2 sandwiches in it. Use a grill press or large, heavy spatula to press down the cubanos as they grill.
2. Grill until the bread is golden brown and has grill marks, 3 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on the second. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches.

Cubanos Beginning to Grill

Cubanos after Turning

1. To serve, cut each cubano diagonally in half and place 2 halves on each of 4 plates. Divide the plantain chips (recipe follows) and serve alongside.

Grilled Cubanos

For the Plantain Chips

1. Quarter and peel the plantains (see explanation above), then cut each quarter into 3 thin, lengthwise slices.

Plantain Slices

1. Heat 1/2 cup peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Working in 2 batches, lay the plantain slices in a single layer in the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second.
2. Use tongs to remove the chips to layers of paper towels and season with additional salt while hot. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining plantain slices. Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed.

Plantains Beginning to Fry

Plantains after Turning

Fried Plantain Chips