Mojo Artichoke “Pulled Pork” Vegan Cuban Sandwich
This sandwich is out of this world delicious. Even though it is 100% vegan, it still has all the same factors that a traditional non-vegan one has. It’s crunchy, chewy, cheesy, meaty, and saucy, all while being incredibly flavorful! I could go on and on with the mouth-watering adjectives of this vegan Cuban sandwich, but I think you would start drooling. Okay… that’s a bit dramatic, but this sandwich is seriously incredible.
So what’s in this vegan Cuban sandwich?
This is how I build mine:
- Cuban-style bread of choice
- Yellow mustard
- Vegan provolone cheese
- Pickles
- Sliced vegan ham
- Mojo artichoke pulled pork
- More provolone cheese
- Garlic aioli
The bread is then smothered in butter and pressed and seared in a hot skillet on both sides to absolute, crispy, crunchy perfection.
Now that is flavor heaven, my friends.
For the pulled pork replacement, I decided to give artichokes a shot, and on a whim. I didn’t plan on creating a recipe for it. It all started because I had a craving for a Cuban sandwich late one night. I saw a can of artichokes sittin’ in my pantry and figured they could get the job done well enough. In the end, it turned out almost perfect.
The artichoke pork is sweet, tangy, and slightly chewy.
I’m not going to pretend that the artichoke pork tastes EXACTLY like real pulled pork, but I do think it is very delicious and gets the job done. I also don’t think someone would guess that it is made from artichokes. And when it is stuffed inside this sandwich, you really can’t even tell that it’s made from a vegetable!
While we’re on the topic of flavor… I made the executive decision to smother garlic aioli inside this sandwich. No, it’s not traditional. Yes, this is my version and my recipe.
I just love sauce and I LOVE garlic in almost everything.
I know that it’s not the classic thing to do, but I couldn’t help myself. It makes this bad boy taste SO dang good. No regrets here!
HEY! If you like sandwiches, check out my Vegan Copycat Shake Shack Shroom Burger. It’s a ridiculous sandwich, and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s one of my fave recipes because it’s the ultimate, head-turning food porn.
If you make this sandwich, don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, tag me @chefsummerstorm, and #gardengrub so I can see your recreation!
Mojo Artichoke “Pulled Pork” Vegan Cuban Sandwich
Ingredients
Mojo Artichoke Pulled Pork
- Two 14 ounce cans quartered artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp maple syrup, 100% pure
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, small chopped
Garlic Aioli
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 6 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Ingredients You Need For 1 Cuban Sandwich
- 1 Cuban roll or hoagie roll, cut in half length wise
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 slices vegan provolone cheese, cut in half (I used Follow Your Heart's)
- 3 sandwich style slices dill pickles
- 4 slices vegan ham (I used Tofurky's)
- Heavy 1/4 cup mojo artichoke pulled pork
- 2 tbsp garlic aioli
Instructions
Mojo Artichoke Pulled Pork
- Drain the cans of artichokes. Rinse them very well. Squeeze the artichokes to get rid of any excess water.
- Chop them (or blend in a food processor), so there are no huge chunks. Finely chop any outer peels that are super fibrous. Toss any little bits out that won't break down with the knife.
- Stir all of the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to create the marinade.
- Pour the marinade into the chopped artichokes and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, but overnight is even better!
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set a piece of parchment paper onto a large baking sheet, dump the artichoke pork on top, and spread it around evenly to prevent overcrowding.
- Bake for 25 minutes, stir and then bake for 20 more minutes.
Garlic Aioli
- Melt the vegan butter in a small saute pan over medium, medium-low heat. Once hot, add in the minced garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden brown.
- Allow the garlic to cool down completely, and then put it into a small bowl along with the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
How to Build and Cook 1 Cuban Sandwich
- Melt 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Toast the insides of the bread roll until golden brown.
- First, spread the yellow mustard onto the bottom half of the bread. Lay down 2 halves of cheese, then the pickle slices, slices of ham, artichoke pulled pork, and then the other 2 halves of cheese. Spread across the garlic aioli onto the inside of the top piece of bread. Then, press the bread on top of the rest of the sandwich. Press down firmly, but gently.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Once hot cook, place the sandwich into the pan and cook until deep golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. While cooking, press down on the sandwich reasonably hard, but gently, to ensure the fillings do not squeeze out.
- Flip over, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook until the second side is deep golden brown and crispy and all of the cheese has melted. Continue pressing down on the sandwich. *Cover the sandwich with a lid if the cheese won't melt.
Tiparooskis
Welcome to my tip section of this vegan Cuban sandwich recipe! Here I provide my top tips to help you perfect the recipe. Sometimes, I also give substitute suggestions that I think you may find helpful.
- Chop up the outer, tough artichoke leaves very well. Otherwise, the “pulled pork” will feel fibrous, and it’s not pleasant. If there are some pieces you cannot cut through and feel pretty rough, discard them.
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