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1
To make the Cuban Roast Pork: Mash the garlic and salt together using a mortar/pestle.
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2
Place the mash mixture in a small bowl; add in oregano, onion, and sour orange juice; mix thoroughly.
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3
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add in the mash mixture and whisk to blend.
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4
Remove from heat and set marinade aside.
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5
Pierce the pork roast with a sharp knife or fork.
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6
Set aside a small amount of the marinade for use during the roasting period.
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7
Pour remaining marinade over the pork, cover, and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
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8
Preheat oven to 325u00b0; remove pork from marinade and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
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9
Sprinkle reserved marinade over pork.
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10
Roast until completely cooked and a meat thermometer registers 160u00b0 (about 20 minutes per lb).
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11
Baste occasionally with the pan juices.
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12
Remove pork from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before thinly slicing the meat.
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13
Bring remaining pan juices to a boil and simmer until juice is reduced by half; use this juice to sprinkle onto the meat in the sandwiches.
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14
To make the sandwiches: cut the bread into 4 sections, each about 8 inches long; slice these sections in half horizontally; spread butter on the inside of both halves.
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15
Generously layer sandwiches with filling ingredients in the following order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese.
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16
Spread with the optional mustard or mayonnaise if desired.
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17
Preheat a pancake griddle or large skillet.
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18
Lightly coat hot griddle or skillet with cooking spray; add in the first sandwich (make sure that your griddle or skillet is not too hot or the crust will burn before the cheese melts).
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19
Place a heavy iron skillet on top of the sandwich to flatten it (you want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about a third of its original size).
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20
Grill the sandwich for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
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21
Repeat the process for each sandwich.
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22
Slice each sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
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23
Note--Additions like Genoa salami, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and onion have become popular in the past forty years but are considered heresy by purists; in the old days, the sandwich was brushed on the outside with a small amount of pork drippings.
