We need to have a talk. I've been keeping something from you. I can't believe I haven't said anything about this on the blog. But it's time.
My family owns a Cuban restaurant. But it's not the Cuban side of my family that owns it. It's the Italian side. Oh, the irony.
In 1948, Brocato's opened as an Italian grocery. My grandfather was only 17 or 18 at the time, and worked to help his parents run the store. Time went on and a deli counter was added that sold classic sandwiches with Italian ingredients like mortadella and capicola. The deli became very popular, and my family decided to capitalize on it, slowly phasing out the grocery in favor of a sandwich shop that would become a staple in Tampa. Homemade roast pork, garbanzo soup, black beans and yellow rice, and maduros also became menu staples over time, solidifying its transformed identity as a Cuban spot. The shop is rich with history, having survived a neighborhood clear out and a car literally driving through the the place one evening (my uncle used the downtime to experiment and master his best attempt at our Aunt Nina's deviled crab recipe, which she literally took to the grave).
Brocato's is a master of the "Tampa Cuban" - that's a Cubano sandwich with the addition of Genoa salami, from the Italians (and lettuce and tomato, but that's more of a controversial regionalism). What makes their Cubano stand out from the rest is their attention to the roast pork. They braise the meat in mojo, a traditional approach to slow cooking meat in Cuban culture using citrus and spices. Having grown up in the shop, I've seen workers slowly braise gigantic vats of the stuff, as the scents of cumin and orange waft out the kitchen and into the dining room. Brocato's has a unique smell that sticks to your clothes, but that smell is mostly thanks to the roast pork. And they're famous for it.
Alton Brown visited Tampa a few years back and did a blind review of Cuban sandwiches from the area based on fan suggestions. His critiques were harsh, and Brocato's did not reign supreme in his eyes (I mean, you can order it without lettuce and tomato, Alton), but Brown does give props to Brocato's, erm, "sandwich D," for having the most flavorful and largest chunks of roast pork.
So here's my "roast" pork, perfect for Cuban sandwiches. Is this recipe the same as Brocato's? God no. Uncle Michael is never going to share that recipe with me. It's Brocato's best kept secret right up there with the deviled crabs. But this is the lazy person's mock Brocato's version. Instead of keeping the pork in the oven on low, break out the slow cooker and allow the smells to take over your home while you go out and, um, do something that is socially distant and essential.
Oh, and you'll have lots of leftovers. We usually enjoy this pork with some rice and beans the night we make it, then save the leftovers for sandwiches. If you want something creative to do with the leftovers, my next blog post will be just the ticket, so stay tuned!
With side-eye at Alton Brown,
~c.j.
SLOW COOKER MOJO PORK
PREP TIME: 5 mins
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 8 hrs
YIELD: A lot. I would guess 12 servings. There will be leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 oranges
2 limes
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 lb boneless, skinless pork shoulder (or, 8 lb bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder, self-butchered so it will fit into your slow cooker, bone and skin discarded)
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
DIRECTIONS
In a slow cooker, add the onions to the bottom. Squeeze in the juice from the oranges and limes, and add the carcasses as well to help perfume the pork.
Make the seasoning: in a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Season the pork shoulder generously, rubbing the mixture all over. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker, then go wash your hands ya filthy animal. Add garlic and bay leaves as well.
Turn on slow cooker to low and allow to cook for 8 hours, undisturbed.
Turn off slow cooker. Remove bay leaves and citrus carcasses, discarding. Use two large forks to shred the pork in its juices. En-freaking-joy.
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