Using a NuWave Oven can be a huge time saver, but it's also a great way to cook dinner without heating up the kitchen. Here in Florida, keeping the kitchen cool is really important in the summer months, so I'm working on more recipes to use during those warmer upcoming days.
This is one recipe that I couldn't wait to rework. Cuban Sandwiches are a favorite for my family and this recipe is a delicious twist on our original
Grilled Cuban Sandwich recipe.
The "original" Cuban sandwich was said to have been created near Tampa, Florida, but there seems to be several variations of the "original". The sandwich usually consists of sliced pork, deli ham, Swiss cheese, and sliced dill pickles. These 4 ingredients are layered onto sliced Cuban bread and topped with a generous squirt of yellow mustard. The sandwich is then grilled on a panini press, or similar type of grill, and toasted until the bread is crunchy, and it is a most delicious sandwich!
So here is where the NuWave Oven comes in. I've always baked a pork loin roast for this sandwich instead of the traditional pork shoulder roast for two reasons. First, it's much quicker to cook a pork loin than a 4 or 5 pound pork shoulder. That is a big chunk of meat and it takes quite a while to cook. Secondly, and most important to me, the pork loin is a leaner cut of meat. It roasts beautifully, it's easy to slice and you save a lot of fat and calories. So for us the loin works better and look however beautiful the crust is when cooked in the NuWave.
For this recipe we used orange juice and lime juice in the pork marinade, both of which are frequently used in Cuban cooking. (The juices are what give the pork that nice crispy, caramelized crust.)
So here is the finished sandwich. Moist pork loin layered with the ham, Swiss cheese and pickles, then grilled to perfection. A few crunchy chips and pickled beets on the side make a delicious Cuban-style dinner.
Enjoy!!
3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1-1/2 lb Lean Pork Loin Roast
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large zip lock bag, then place the pork roast in the bag. Place the roast in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning several times.
Prepare the NuWave cooking tray by lining the bottom tray with heavy duty foil. (This will make cleanup quick and easy.)
Remove the roast from the bag and reserve the marinade. Place the roast on the 4-inch rack of the NuWave Oven, set the power level to 7 and the timer to 20 minutes. While the roast is cooking, heat the marinade in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the marinade from the heat.
When the 20-minute timer beeps, turn the roast over and drizzle with several spoons of the marinade. Set the timer for 10 minutes, drizzle the marinade over the roast again and set the timer for a final 10 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the roast and add a few more minutes if needed. If the roast is up to the desired temperature, remove the roast to a platter, cover and keep warm for about 10 minutes, before thinly slicing the pork.
