Cuban Braised Pork

The Armview Restaurant & Lounge,
7156 Chebucto Road

There are many a bitter winter night where we all wish we could be whisked away to somewhere a little bit sunnier and sandier with a temperature in the pluses. And while The Armview’s Colin March can’t promise to up your vitamin D levels with this creation, he can certainly help bring the Caribbean vibes to your dining room. Inspired by some of his memories of Cuba, and digging into Cubano sandwiches, his braised pork’s flavour profile is basically the equivalent of curling up in front of a fireplace. “The dish has both warming characteristics and freshness,” says March. “And works well in the dead of winter or a summer evening.” Did someone say summer?

Ingredients

2 lb (900g) pork butt
1 medium white onion
1 medium fresh jalapeno
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp dry oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ cup (125ml) canola oil
1 cup (250ml) orange juice
3 limes (juice and zest)
2 tbsp (30ml) sherry vinegar

Directions

Cut pork into two inch chunks. Generously season the pork with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add oil to hot pot over medium heat. Sear all sides of pork to a nice brown color.

While meat is browning, thinly slice onion, garlic and jalapeno. Remove meat from pot and side aside. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno to pot and saute for a few minutes. Deglaze pot with sherry vinegar, scraping up any brown bits in the pot.

Add orange juice and return pork to pot. Add enough water to cover half of the pork. Zest and juice limes into pot, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fork tender.

When pork is tender, remove from pot and shred with two forks or your hands. Return shredded pork to pot and mix with remaining juices. Pork can be eaten as is or turned into a Cubano sandwich.

To Build Sandwich
Toast focaccia bread, add dijon mustard to one slice and garlic mayonnaise to the other. Add sliced dill pickle and smoked ham slice to bottom slice, and then the Cuban shredded pork. Top with a slice of Swiss cheese.