Cuban Sandwich

To make the Cuban braised pork:

Place the onions and garlic cloves into a large heavy pot. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the vinegar over the top of the pork and then sprinkle the pork with the oregano, salt and red pepper flakes.

Fill the pot half way full of water, put a lid on it and set the pot over medium heat. After 10 minutes, lower the heat to low. Simmer the pork for about 1 ½ hours.

Then take the lid off, and flip the pork to cook it evenly. Add the rest of the vinegar and put the lid back on it. Cook for another 60-90 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and pull the pork out of the pot. Put the pork on a work surface or cutting board. Remove the strings from the pork (if there were strings) and shred the pork (using two forks or your hands).

Be sure to remove the fat and any connective tissues that still remain. Discard that!

Move the pork to a bowl or storage container. If you are not going to use this right away (or maybe not all of it at once) then ladle a cup or two of the braising liquid over the pork and store the meat in the liquid. Make sure to season it with a little kosher salt if the meat needs it.

To make the sandwich:

Preheat a sandwich press or grill pan.

Slice the roll in half horizontally. Spread yellow mustard over both sides of the bread.

Pile the Swiss cheese onto one side of the bread. Add the smoked ham. Add several large spoons full of the pulled pork. Add bread and butter pickles and top the sandwich with the other slice of bread.

Grill or cook in a sandwich press until golden and the cheese is melted.

Slice in half and enjoy hot with extra pickles!