Cuban Sandwiches are a delicious Florida specialty and are the perfect way to to use leftover roast pork in a quick weeknight meal.
Make yourself a wonderful lunch with this Cuban sandwich recipe. It’s a classic Florida sandwich with pork, ham, cheese, and pickles. Plus, the way I make them, a sandwich press is not required!
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Is A Cuban Sandwich?
I’d never heard of a Cuban Sandwich before moving to Florida. But trust me, here in the state of FL, there’s a Cuban sandwich on almost every menu, especially in Miami. That’s because they originated here among Cuban visitors and migrant workers in the late 1800s.
What is a Cuban Sandwich, you ask? It’s made on Cuban bread (but you can use a baguette, which is similar) spread with mustard. Added to that is roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles. Some variations, especially in Tampa, also include salami but it’s less common, so I haven’t added it to mine. As for the best ham, I like a nice smoked ham from the deli, like black forest ham.
The sandwich is usually then grilled or pressed. (Note that the one below is broiled because I don’t have a sandwich press.)
Use Your Leftover Roast Pork!
This sandwich is great for a quick weeknight dinner. I typically will make it on a Tuesday if we had roast pork for dinner on the weekend. This is an AMAZING use for leftover roast pork. If you know me, you know I like roast pork a lot. Here’s my traditional roast pork recipe and here’s one for pork loin and, if you’re in a hurry, here’s how to roast pork in the Instant Pot.
If you’ve got leftover roast pork in the fridge, grab that along with some ham, cheese, and bread, and you’re ready to layer them on the bread to make Cubano sandwiches.
Don’t Forget the Pickles
Oh wait. Except, you also need pickles!
Recently, I showed you how to make quick pickles. These are essentially pickles made from cucumbers that are brined for a very short time (as little as 30 minutes) instead of for ages. They come out with a fresh crunch and lots of garlicky and vinegary flavor. I love using these fresh pickles in sandwiches because they’re so crunchy and flavorful, but you can use any store-bought dill pickle that you like.
Do I Need A Sandwich Press?
If you have a sandwich or panini press, you’ll pile on the ingredients and then put the sandwich in there.
If you don’t have a sandwich press, I have a fun trick for you that uses the broiler. You essentially end up making two toasty open-faced sandwiches. If you want a more traditional pressed sandwich, you can also heat your Cuban sandwich with a cast iron skillet or grill pan and press down with a spatula or another heavy skillet.
However you make it, you’ve got a delicious weeknight dinner in minutes.
More Tasty Sandwich Recipes
Podcast Episode: Making Cuban Sandwiches
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this sandwich, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below.
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintCuban Sandwich Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Cuban
DESCRIPTION
Cuban Sandwiches are a delicious Florida specialty and are the perfect way to to use leftover roast pork in a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Cuban bread, or baguette
- 2 Tbsp. margarine or softened butter
- 4 tsp. yellow mustard
- 8 slices roast pork
- 8 slices smoked ham
- 32 round dill pickle slices
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Put the oven rack 8 inches from the heat source.
- Cut the Cuban loaf in half and then cut each half into half again.
- Slice through the middle of each piece of bread to get the base for two open-faced sandwiches, yielding 8 bases total. Arrange bread on a broiler-safe baking sheet, insides of bread facing down so that the outer crusts are up.
- Spread the margarine or butter on the outer crusts.
- Put the pan into the oven to toast the outside of the bread. Remove from oven when lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
- Flip bread over so that the crust sides are down. Spread each top with 1/2 teaspoon of mustard.
- Top each with a slice of roast pork, a slice of ham, 4 slices of pickle, and a slice of cheese.
- Transfer baking sheet to under the broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and pork and ham are heated through, 3-5 minutes. If the cheese melts too quickly and the meat is not heated, move the pan down in the oven and turn the broiler off. The heat in the oven will finish heating the meat.
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This post originally appeared in September 2018 and was revised and republished in Februar.