Mexican Pork Belly Sandwiches

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the lime. Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Halve the rolls. Grate the monterey jack on the large side of a box grater. Cut off and discard the stem of the poblano pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Roughly chop the jalapeño pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling the peppers. In a bowl, combine the cilantro sauce, sour cream, and the juice of 2 lime wedges.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Transfer the halved potatoes to the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and enough of the spice blend to coat (you may have extra). Toss to coat; arrange in an even layer. Roast 20 to 22 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced poblano pepper and sliced white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Turn off the heat. Carefully add the juice of the remaining lime wedges; stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels. Place on a cutting board with the fat cap facing up; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.

Heat the same pan on medium-high until hot. Add the pork belly pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned. Flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned and heated through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Carefully drain off and discard the excess oil.

*The USDA recommends reheating cooked pork to 140°F.

Assemble the sandwiches using the halved rolls, cilantro sour cream, browned pork belly, cooked poblano pepper, grated monterey jack, and as much of the chopped jalapeño pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium until hot (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil). Add the sandwiches. Place a heavy-bottomed pot (or pan) on top of the sandwiches; press down. Cook, occasionally pressing down on the pot, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil before flipping). Transfer to a cutting board; carefully halve on an angle. Serve the finished sandwiches with the roasted potatoes on the side. Garnish the potatoes with the cotija and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!