Pan Con Lechón (Cuban Roast Pork Sandwich)
Pan Con Lechón is the go-to sandwich in Cuba. The soft bread complements the shredded pork and its flavorful mojo sauce. You can also add tomato, lettuce, and pickles for extra freshness.
Now, before you start making your own sandwich, let’s talk a bit about the difference between Pan Con Lechón and the Cubano, another famous Cuban sandwich.
The Cubano has Cuban origins, but it was invented by Cuban immigrants living in Florida. The Pan Con Lechon recipe was developed 100% on Cuban soil. The latter doesn’t contain ham and Swiss cheese, as the Cubano does. This is probably the biggest difference. It’s also served at room temperature and it’s usually not pressed, which is common for the Cubano.
Regardless, both are delicious and worth trying out. Please find below a traditional Pan Con Lechón recipe.
Pan Con Lechón (Cuban Roast Pork Sandwich)
Ingredients
For the sandwich:
- 2 loaves Cuban bread (or French/Italian bread)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound leftover cooked roast pork
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons mojo sauce
For the mojo sauce:
- 1 cup sour orange juice
- 1 head garlic cloves peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 black peppercorns
- oregano
Instructions
How to Make Mojo sauce:
- Take the garlic, salt pepper and oregano and crush them to a paste using a mortar and pestle (or a food processor). Pour some of the sour orange juice little by little to loosen the paste. A good substitute for sour orange juice is a mix of orange juice (2 parts) and 1 part lemon juice and one part lime juice.
- If working with a mortar and pestle, you'll need to work in batches, so scoop out the paste and continue with the rest of the garlic cloves and spices until finished.
- Once all the ingredients have been mixed, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
How to Make the Sandwich:
- Coat a frying pan in some cooking oil and place over medium heat. Get your pork meat slices and place them in the pan. Leave them for a couple of minutes on each side, or if you like them crispier, fry for longer according to your taste.
- Slice the bread loaves in half and butter each side. Shred the pork pieces and add the meat in an even layer on the bottom half of the bread. Layer a generous amount of thinly sliced onion on top and add a few dollops of delicious mojo sauce.
- Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve. If you'd like it ward, finish the sandwich using a sandwich press, though typically this sandwich is served at room temperature and is not pressed.
Enjoy!
Notes
Related: Cuban Tamales
Related: Picadillo a la Habanera (Cuban Ground Beef)
Related: Ropa Vieja (Cuban Old Clothes Dish)
Related: Moros y Cristianos (Cuban Rice & Black Beans)
