The Cuban

This month we welcome Australasian sandwich making champion Matt Wilkinson to Tasty Tuesday! Matt is co-owner of Pope Joan, the Bishop of Ostia and the newly opened 'Hams & Bacon' produce store in Brunswick East. He is a super friendly and hilariously funny lad, and he makes one seriously impressive sandwich. Every Tuesday this month Matt will share a tried and tested sandwich recipe from his award winning repertoire! I tried every single one of these whilst we photographed this series and I might I say, they are the MOST DELICIOUS SANDWICHES ever to have passed my lips. Cross my heart. - Lucy

'The Cuban' pulled pork sandwich by Matt Wilkinson / Pope Joan.  Photo - Sean Fennessy, production - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Now every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to have a pulled pork sandwich on their menu and so they should, pulled pork is rocking. Now close your eyes and imagine this. Go on, close them. Imagine Bundarra Berkshires’ free range (proper free range) piggy shoulder marinating for a few days in chilli and a few other things, slow cooked for… well a long time, so when it is done marinating it just pulls apart. Now think of that warm soft floury top bun in the oven. You take it out and generously add some spicy tomato kasundi, not hot enough that it burns your lips for days, but just hot enough to let ya know that the old girl chilli has said hello. Add to this a little grated cheese, and then stack on top your slow cooked porky goodness. Throw on some pickled element in the form of carrots and cornichons (such a cute cucumber grown just for pickling), a bit of crispy lettuce for the crunch, then some grain mustard mayonnaise to finish. Seriously, this sandwich is a real winner. It's not pretty when you eat it, so if you make it for the first time trying to impress somebody with your eating manners - think again! However it should come with a label saying 'Eat me and marry me with a cleansing ale' – my choice would be a Red Hill golden ale, as it is refreshing, easy to drink, and a match made in heaven for old Mr Cuban. This sandwich was inspired by my good friend Sarah Robins, who wrote the cookbook Seasonal Regional, just released by The Sustainable Table.

Condiments at the ready in the Pope Joan kitchen!  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

Ingredients

300g Bundarra Berkshire pork shoulder diced 4cm ½ tsp chilli flakes ½ tsp cinnamon powder ½ tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp salt 100ml olive oil ½ cup mayonaisee 1 tbsp grain mustard 4 x ciabatta rolls or soft rolls from Phillipa's Bakery 1 cup Kasoundi from Cunliffe & Waters ½ cup grated cheddar cheese 1 small carrot grated 12 cornichons finely sliced 8 leaves cos lettuce washed and drained

Method (SERVEs 4)

Pulled pork on the grill.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

In a large pot add the pork shoulder, chilli flakes, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt and oil and cook for three to four hours in the oven or until the pork shoulder is cooked and stringy. I would do this the day before. Once cooked, drain out any excess moisture and allow the pork to cool, then place it in a frying pan and crisp it up a little. Mix the mayonnaise with grain mustard. Slice the bread rolls in half then place them into an oven to warm, you want the rolls on the outside to be a little crisp but the inside to be soft and fluffy. Once ready take them out of the oven, and place a tablespoon of the Kasoundi on the bottom piece of the roll followed by a tablespoon of the mustard mayo on the top piece. Then layer the sandwich in this order, cheese onto the Kasoundi, then the pork mix evenly distributed between the four sandwiches, then the carrot, cornichons and lettuce. Put the lid on the top of the roll and enjoy with a beer.

MASSIVE thanks to Matt Wilkinson for joining us this month and sharing his impressive sandwich repertoire!  If you'd rather leave your sandwich preparation in the hands of the experts, you could always pop in to Pope Joan and/or Hams and Bacon Produce Store at 75 - 79 Nicholson st in Brunswick East, where you will find this and many more amazing sandwiches on the menu!

Pope Joan = sandwich heaven.  Photo - Sean Fennessy, production - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.