Slow Cooker Pork Paninis, Two Ways!

Recipe Type: Sandwiches

Cuisine: Cuban, Mediterranean

Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 45 mins

Serves: 6-10

Two delicious sandwich recipes using slow-cooked pork tenderloin. Two styles- Cuban and Mediterranean! Enjoy one of these for your next potluck or dinner party. And great for using up leftover Easter pork loin, too!

Ingredients

2 lbs pork tenderloin
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp corn starch
For sandwich toppings:
2 tbsp good quality dijon mustard (I used TJ’s whole mustard seed dijon)
2 tbsp tzatziki sauce
1/4 cup baby spinach
1 tsp dry dill weed (or pickles- but Ben doesn’t like pickles so I had to be creative!)
6 slices deli ham
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced peppers
6 thin slices of tomatoes
3 slices swiss cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese
6 sweet bread sandwich buns, sliced
Olive oil

Instructions

Place pork loin in crock pot.
Mix soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, mustard, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Pour over pork. Set crock pot to low for 7-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.
Just before assembling sandwiches, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Reserve 3/4 of onions in a small bowl and set aside. Add peppers to remaining onion mixture and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
When pork is ready, remove from crock pot and set to “warm.” Add 1 tbsp corn starch to crock pot and whisk in with remaining sauce until it thickens.
Slice pork into thin slices. It should really just fall apart at this point! Spoon a little more of the juices on top of the meat to keep moist!
Meanwhile, slice buns lengthwise and lay out on counter (I also toasted mine for about 1 min in the already hot oven!)
Spread one side of three of the buns with dijon mustard (about 3/4 tbsp each), and the remaining buns with tzatziki (again, about 3/4 tbsp).
On other half of the buns with mustard, sprinkle a pinch of dill weed or pickles, and top with 2 slices each of ham.
On other halves of the buns with tzatziki, layer spinach.
Next, layer a few slices of pork onto each sandwich.
Cover Cuban sandwiches (the mustard ones) with a scoop of cooked onions, followed by a slice of swiss.
Cover Mediterranean sandwiches (the tzatziki ones) with the pepper and onion mixture, followed by tomato slices and about 1 tbsp each of feta cheese.
To each sandwich, drizzle a bit of the thickened sauce left over in the crock pot. The sauce should really just seep into the bread!
Close sandwiches with other half of the bun.
Preheat George Foreman grill (or panini maker, or just a regular frying pan!) to medium high heat, or about 350 degrees. Spread with olive oil or layer with tin foil.
Place each sandwich on the press. Drizzle a bit of oil on top of each to prevent sticking.
Press down (ya’ll know those tasty grill lines we’re going for!) and cook for 3-5 minutes, until browned and the cheese is melted!
Slice in half and serve. These go just perfectly with the Corn and Sweet Potato Fritters (see previous post)!