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1
Begin by braising the pork shoulder.
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2
Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you.
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3
Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
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4
Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.
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5
Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil.
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6
Add the pork.
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7
Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.
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8
Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker.
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9
The pork should be tender when done.
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10
When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.
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11
To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together).
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12
Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers.
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13
(Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).
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14
To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil.
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15
Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well).
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16
Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy.
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17
Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.
