Ingredients
Sandwich
- 2loaves Cuban bread (pan cubano), each cut into 2 lengths of about 20 cm
- 400 groast mojo pork (lechon asado), sliced thin
- 300 gsweet cooked ham, sliced thin
- 200 gSwiss cheese, thinly sliced
- 8dill pickle spears, halved lengthways
- 4 tbspyellow mustard
- 40 glard or softened butter, for the outside
Directions
- Split each length of bread lengthways without cutting all the way through. Cuban bread has a thin, papery crust and a soft crumb; a baguette will fight the press.
- Spread yellow mustard on the bottom half only. No mayonnaise, no lettuce, no tomato.
- Layer in order: Swiss cheese, then roast pork, then ham, then pickles, then a second layer of Swiss so the cheese melts against both crusts and glues the sandwich together.
- Close the sandwich and smear lard or butter over the top and bottom crusts, right to the edges.
- Heat a plancha or a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Put the sandwich in and weight it with a second heavy pan, a foil-wrapped brick, or a proper sandwich press.
- Press for 3–4 minutes a side, until the sandwich is squashed to about a third of its height, the crust is deep gold and crackling, and cheese is creeping out of the sides.
- Cut on a hard diagonal and eat straight away. A Cubano goes soft and sad within ten minutes.
Technique
- The pressing is the recipe. You are not toasting a sandwich, you are compressing it so the fat, mustard and pickle juice soak into the crumb.
- Real pan cubano is made with lard and baked with a wet palm frond laid along the top, which gives the split down the crust.
- Tampa and Miami argue permanently: Tampa adds Genoa salami, a legacy of Ybor City’s Italian cigar workers. Miami says never.
Substitutions
- No Cuban bread: use a soft, light Italian loaf or a par-baked baguette left to go slightly stale, not a crusty sourdough.
Variations
- Medianoche: the same filling in a sweet, eggy yellow roll, eaten after midnight.
- Pan con lechon: just the roast pork, mojo and raw onion, no ham or cheese.
History
Developed by Cuban cigar workers in Key West and Tampa’s Ybor City in the late 1800s; Tampa’s version adds salami from Italian neighbours.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cuban sandwich?
Cuban sandwich is a street food from Cuba: pressed roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, mustard. Developed by Cuban cigar workers in Key West and Tampa’s Ybor City in the late 1800s; Tampa’s version adds salami from Italian neighbours.
How long does Cuban sandwich take to make?
Cuban sandwich takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 sandwiches. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Cuban sandwich?
Yes, within limits. No Cuban bread: use a soft, light Italian loaf or a par-baked baguette left to go slightly stale, not a crusty sourdough.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cuban sandwich?
Tampa and Miami argue permanently: Tampa adds Genoa salami, a legacy of Ybor City’s Italian cigar workers. Miami says never.
