Once Upon a Menu: Nachos Cubano

We got a lot to thank military wives for, including nachos! I've made these with a Cuban spin. One story goes, in 1943, a group of U. S. military wives walked into a restaurant just over the border after hours, and Chef Ignacio Garcia didn’t want to send them away.

He grabbed some tortilla chips, melted cheese over them, and added sliced jalapeños, calling them “Nacho’s Especiales.” My recipe has Mojo pork, ham, swissm and French's mustard.

For more stories and recipes follow my Once Upon a Menu series on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @theinfinitefeast.

🇨🇺 🌶️ 🥒 🐷 🇨🇺 🌶️ 🥒 🐷

Nachos Cubano! 🇨🇺

4 pound pork butt (shoulder)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to coat meat

Garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin to coat meat

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups orange juice

1/3 cup favorite hot sauce

3 cups mojo marinade (store-bought)

1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths

4 limes, cut in quarters

4 ounces roughly chopped mint leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 (11 ounce) bag hint of lime-flavor Doritos

1 (8 ounce) ham steak, cut in small cubes

Dill pickle chips (about 10 ounces), sliced

8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (shred your own, or another white shredded cheese will suffice)

Sliced jalapeños (as desired)

Classic yellow French's mustard (in squeeze bottle!)

Make the Mojo Pork! Heat oven to 350°F. Cut roast into 4 or 5 large pieces, coat all sides with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, cumin. Let seasoned meat come to room temperature out of fridge (45 minutes to an hour).

To large Dutch oven or other heavy oven-proof pot, over medium high heat, add oil. Brown roast(s) on all sides, 4 minutes per side.

To Dutch oven, over meat, add orange juice, hot sauce, mojo marinade. Roast in oven, covered, 1 hour, turning meat once.

Stir in onion, limes, mint, cilantro, garlic. Cover, roast in oven up to another 2 hours, or till tender. Check regularly. Remove meat from Dutch oven, rest 20 minutes, shred.

To assemble Nachos Cubano: On a large, festive platter, arrange chips. Top with heated mojo pork (you may not use all of it on first serving). Add ham, pickle, cheese, jalapeños, then crisscross with mustard, and dig in!

Follow me @theinfinitefeast on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, for more "Once Upon a Menu" stories and recipes. And check out my cookbook right here!

🇨🇺 🌶️ 🥒 🐷 🇨🇺 🌶️ 🥒 🐷