Authentic Cuban Sandwich Recipe
Florida, United States of America
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Introduction & history
Originally known as the mixto or mixed sandwich, the Cuban sandwich was introduced to Florida by cigar laborers arriving from Cuba at the beginning of the 20th century. The dish consists of lengthwise sliced Cuban bread, roasted pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, thin slices of dill pickles, and, according to some sources, mustard. When assembled, the sandwich needs to be pressed in la plancha, a sandwich press similar to a panini press, but without ridged surfaces. An important ingredient of the sandwich is the crusty Cuban bread, which is traditionally baked with palmetto leaves inserted along the top of the loaf, creating the recognizable split crust. Palmetto leaves allow the bread to expand during baking, the same as slashes do on other kinds of bread dough. The leaves do not influence the flavor of the bread; they are used simply for creating the signature crusty ridge. Key West and Tampa, the two big cigar factory areas which housed many foreign workers, ... Read more
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Cooking tips
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temperature
Before assembling the sandwich, let your meats and cheese come to room temperature. This way, you will avoid burning the bread while grilling, and the cheese will melt perfectly. -
bread
If you can't get a hold of Cuban bread, you can substitute it with French bread, just not a baguette because it is too narrow and too hard to press correctly. You need a loaf that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. -
ham
Cubano can be made with several types of ham. The most popular recommendations include sugar-cured ham, honey-glazed ham, and Serrano ham. Some claim that the sweet-cured hams are the best choice for this dish because of their subtle flavor, which does not overpower the other ingredients. -
pork roast
Choose the boneless sirloin, shoulder, or center-cut pork loin roast. When it comes to cooking the pork, there are several options to consider. You can roast the meat in the oven or cook it in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. For marinating, you can use a dry rub or a wet marinade, but the most important thing is to cover all sides of the meat evenly. When cooked, the meat needs to cool down a ... Read more -
assembling
When assembling the sandwich, layer the cheese on both the top and the bottom half of the bread. That way, while grilling, the melting cheese will cover the meats and pickles, making it more compact and easier to eat. -
grilling
In the absence of the traditional la plancha, you can use a regular panini press. Another option is to wrap the sandwich, put it on a regular grill, and press it down with a brick, grill press, or any other heavy, heat-resistant object. -
serving
The sandwich can be served hot or cold. It is often cut diagonally before serving. -
variations
Try adding some extra ingredients to your Cuban sandwiches, like Genoa salami, tomatoes, lettuce, Serrano ham, giardiniera (pickled vegetables), mayonnaise, tomato jam, or mango mustard.
Recipe variations
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Cuban Sandwich
Ready in 4h 50minThe following recipe calls for only traditionally used ingredients — Cuban bread, roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and butter. The first step is making the roast pork, which takes the longest to prepare. If you don't have sour oranges, try using equal parts of orange and grapefruit juices, or 2 parts of orange juice to 1 part of lemon juice and 1 part of lime juice. Take the marinating time into account when planning.
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Cubanelle Sandwich with Serrano Ham
Ready in 15minThis is a quick, hassle-free recipe for Cuban sandwiches with store-bought hams and pork. When you don't have the time or the motivation to roast your pork at home, you can opt for this simple and fast version of the dish. The recipe includes two possible grilling options – using a panini grill or a couple of pans.
Cuban Sandwich
PREP 30min
COOK 1h
RESTING 3h 20min
READY IN 4h 50min
The following recipe calls for only traditionally used ingredients — Cuban bread, roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and butter. The first step is making the roast pork, which takes the longest to prepare. If you don't have sour oranges, try using equal parts of orange and grapefruit juices, or 2 parts of orange juice to 1 part of lemon juice and 1 part of lime juice. Take the marinating time into account when planning.
Ingredients
ROASTED PORK
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 cup (90g) minced onion
1 cup (240 ml) sour orange juice
½ cup (120 ml) Spanish olive oil
1 (2 lbs/900g) boneless center-cut pork loin roast
CUBAN SANDWICH
4 Cuban breads
butter, softened
dill pickles, sliced
1 lb (450g) thinly sliced roasted Cuban pork
1 lb (450g) thinly-sliced good quality ham
½ lb (225g) thinly sliced mild Swiss cheese
yellow mustard (optional)
cooking spray
Preparation
For the marinade, mash the garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar. Put the mashed mixture in a small bowl and add onion, oregano, and the sour orange juice. Mix altogether. Add the mash to a saucepan in which you've heated some oil. Stir well. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Pour the majority of the marinade over the pork, which you've pierced thoroughly using a knife or a fork. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan into a preheated oven (325°F/160°C). Drizzle the pork with the remaining marinade. Roast until completely cooked, about 20 minutes per pound (450g) (until the meat thermometer registers 160°F/71°C). Grease the meat occasionally with cooking juices. When cooked, let the pork rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting it to thin slices.
Bring the leftover pan juices to a boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Use this juice to moisten the meat in the sandwiches.
Divide the bread into four 8-inch (20 cm) sections and slice them in half horizontally. Spread the butter on each side of the halves then stuff the sandwiches in the following order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Add mustard if desired.
In a preheated pancake griddle or a frying pan coated with cooking spray, press sandwiches, one by one, using a heavy iron skillet or a bacon press - the aim is to flatten the bread to a third of its original size. Grill until the cheese melts and the bread becomes golden in color (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side). Repeat the process for all the sandwiches. Before serving, slice each sandwich diagonally in half.
Other Variations
-
Cubanelle Sandwich with Serrano Ham
Ready in 15minThis is a quick, hassle-free recipe for Cuban sandwiches with store-bought hams and pork. When you don't have the time or the motivation to roast your pork at home, you can opt for this simple and fast version of the dish. The recipe includes two possible grilling options – using a panini grill or a couple of pans.
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