Pernil Sandwich
Slices of moist leftover pork, melted provolone cheese and a relish made of roasted vegetables compose this amazing Pernil Sandwich.
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ small carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 ½ large tomatoes, sliced
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 bread rolls, (such as Portuguese rolls)
- 8 thin slices provolone cheese
- 1 ½ pounds leftover pernil or roast pork
- Romaine lettuce, to taste (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
Make the relish:
- Combine ½ cup oil, ¼ of the sliced onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and carrot in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth. Reserve.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan and sauté the remaining onion, bell pepper and tomatoes until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved sauce, the paprika and the bay leaves. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until very soft and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Reserve.
Prepare the sandwiches:
- To prepare the pernil sandwiches, split rolls in half and layer the sandwich with provolone cheese and pork.
- Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet. Don't close them, they will be toasted like an open-faced tartine, with the top half on the side.
- Toast the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread develops some color, 5-10 minutes depending on how toasty you like them! Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
- Top with the sauce and lettuce (if using), close with the top half and serve immediately!
Notes
- No leftover pernil? No worries! You can use sliced roast pork from the deli.
- If you don't want to toast the sandwiches in the oven, you can use a panini press or skillet instead. In that case, you would close the sandwiches and then grill until hot and the cheese has melted.
- Bread substitutions: This recipe works great with any crusty on the outside, soft on the inside bread rolls. Cuban sandwich bread, French or Italian bread, and - of course - Brazilian Pão Francês.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwich, Calories: 721kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 3033mg, Potassium: 338mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 2402IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 171mg, Iron: 3mg