CHEF the Film: Mojo Pork Cubanos
INGREDIENTS
  • Servings: 6
  • Preparation Time: 30
  • 6 oz. thinly sliced boiled ham
  • Softened butter, for brushing
  • 6 six-inch-long soft baguettes or heros, split
  • lengthwise
  • Yellow mustard, for brushing
  • ¾ lb. thinly sliced Mojo-Marinated Pork
  • Shoulder (recipe follows), or store-bought roast pork
  • ½ lb. thinly sliced Swiss cheese
  • 3 half-sour dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
DIRECTIONS
  1. Heat a large cast-iron griddle or panini press. Add the ham slices to the griddle and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer ham to a plate.
  2. Generously butter the cut sides of each baguette and toast on the griddle over moderate heat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the baguettes to a work surface and generously brush the cut sides with mustard. Layer the ham, pork, Swiss cheese and pickles on the baguette and close the sandwiches.
  3. Generously brush the outside of the sandwiches with butter and set them on the griddle or press; if using a griddle, top the sandwiches with a large baking sheet and weigh it down with heavy cans or a cast-iron skillet. Cook the sandwiches over moderate heat until they’re browned and crisp on the outside and the cheese is melted, 3 minutes per side on a griddle or 3 minutes total in a press. Cut the cubanos in half and serve hot.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
Food, fatherhood and fame were a recipe for disaster for Carl Casper, our hotshot L.A. chef who’s burnt out and tired of compromise in the kitchen. After waging a war on Twitter with an influential restaurant critic, Carl’s life takes a dramatic turn that forces him to start over rediscover why he became a chef in the first place. The following recipe for Mojo Pork Cubanos helped Carl turn a dilapidated taco truck into a gastronomic sensation on wheels. This delectable Cuban-inspired variation on the classic ham and cheese sandwich got its start in Florida, where Carl renews his culinary career and life journey. Check out the recipe and the film to taste/see for yourself! This is an official recipe created for and made in the film "CHEF" by Chef Roy Choi. For more info, visit chefthefilm.com.