Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

In a previous column, we explored a timely and contentious issue surrounding the usage of the phrase “hot Cuban” to describe a sandwich. While the issue remains unresolved despite all of the great minds working on it, the column also alluded to the sandwiches that comprise the pantheon of delicious bread-and-meat concoctions in Cuban cuisine. One of those sandwiches is the pan con lechon.

Translating rather unapologetically into “bread with roasted pork,” the sandwich certainly presents as a simple and unassuming creation. In its most basic and commonplace preparation, it features pulled pork topped with diced onions, pressed between two pieces of Cuban bread much like the more recognizable Cuban sandwich. Where the sandwich gets its surprising burst of flavor is the slow roasted pork in a citrus-heavy mojo marinade.

At Calú Comfort Food, an off-the-beaten-path diner in an industrial park off of 63rd Avenue and U.S. 301 in Bradenton, that mojo marinade essentially replaces the need for any sauce or toppings by virtue of how much flavor it infuses right into the pork. Savory, bright, garlicky and impossibly moist, the restaurant prevents it from soaking clean through the bread by expertly toasting it and wrapping the sandwich in parchment paper. A fun twist comes in the form of pickled onions rather than freshly diced, but the end result is unequivocally all about the pork. Rest assured, it’s a sandwich worth the hunt.

Calu Comfort Food, 2119 63rd Avenue E. Bradenton, Florida. https://calucomfortfood.wixsite.com/deli

Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

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