The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano Recipe

The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano, is South Florida’s most popular sandwich. Made with a combination of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, and sometimes mustard and mayonnaise, it is brushed with melted butter, pressed, and grilled.

The bread should be golden brown and crisp and the filling hot, its ingredients melded together.

The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano are the perfect way to use leftover roast pork. Cubanos are cooked with a heavy cast-iron sandwich press that heats the sandwich from the top as it compresses the contents.

While this item is standard issue in sandwich shops, it’s rarely found in home kitchens.

To mimic the effects of a sandwich press, use a preheated heavy pot or Dutch oven to weight the sandwiches. These

The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano – Pressed to Perfection

Toasted pressed sandwiches like cubanos take on a luxurious texture and deep, even crust when weighted with a sandwich press.

But if you don’t own a press, don’t despair. We’ve had excellent results by impro­vising with this method.

Preheat your skillet and use the bottom of a preheated heavy pot to weight down the sand­wich.

Use a Dutch oven, but you can also use a teakettle filled with water.

HEAT SKILLET AND DUTCH OVEN

Heat both 12-inch nonstick skillet and large Dutch oven over medium-low heat for 4 minutes.

Assemble The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano

Spread top half of each roll with mayonnaise and bottom half with mustard.

Layer ham, pork, pickles, peppers, and cheese on bottom half of each roll.

Place top halves of rolls on sandwiches and press down to flatten.

The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano – Cook Sandwiches

Brush tops of sandwiches with melted butter and place in skillet, top-side down.

Brush bottoms of sandwiches
with remaining butter and, using preheated pot, press down on sandwiches for 15 to 20 seconds.

Continue to cook with pot on sandwiches (but not pressing down), until first side is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove pot, flip sandwiches over, and continue to cook with pot on sandwiches (but not pressing down) until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve.

The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano Ingredients

4 (6-inch) soft submarine rolls, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/4 pound thinly sliced ham, preferably Virginia or Black Forest
10 ounces thinly sliced roast pork
1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
1/3 cup chopped jarred banana peppers
1/4 pound deli-sliced Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted