There’s no secret what the main ingredient is at ARC Food & Libations, a key cog in the development of Costa Mesa’s OC Mix as a culinary destination. Chef Noah Blom and managing partner Marín Howarth stack almond and citrus wood head-high right near the entrance. The cords of wood then fuel an adjustable grill and oven in the open kitchen to impart persuasive powers to meat, seafood and vegetables. At lunchtime, the wood smoke factors into behemoth sandwiches like the Pig ($16).

For this supercharged riff on a Cubano, Blom starts by allowing a healthy pile of pulled pork to soak up sizzle and smoke in the wood oven. Luckily, the pork retains its natural juices. Thin-sliced pickle, mustard and molten Swiss cheese join the fray, along with a sturdy semolina-crusted bun that also benefits from wood smoke and beautifully soaks up the pork jus. A thick slab of house-cured caps the mass of meat. Unfortunately, the first slab I received was cinder-black, but the kitchen assembled an entirely new sandwich, restoring pork harmony.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.