Cuba · Main · Easy
Cuban Sandwich
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Cuban Sandwich, in 5 ideas
- Butter the outside, not the pan. Direct contact gives an even golden crust. The bread should sizzle the moment it hits the heat.
- Pickles go in the middle. Sandwiched between the meats, they warm through and their brine seasons everything around them.
- Low and slow beats hot and fast. Medium heat gives the cheese time to melt before the bread burns. Patience here.
- Day old roast pork is ideal. This sandwich was invented to use leftovers. Freshly roasted pork shoulder, sliced thin, is the dream.
- No Cuban bread nearby. A soft French baguette or Italian loaf works. Avoid crusty artisan loaves, they fight the press.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Cuban bread or soft French bread
- 1 lb roast pork, thinly sliced (leftover roast or deli)
- 1/2 lb ham, thinly sliced
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 16 dill pickle chips
- 4 tbsp yellow mustard
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
How to make it
Directions
- Slice the loaf lengthwise. If the bread is very thick, hollow out a little of the crumb so the sandwich presses flat.
- Spread mustard generously on both cut sides. Layer the roast pork, then ham, then Swiss, then pickles in an even stack.
- Close the sandwich and butter the outside top and bottom. Press down firmly with your hands to compact it.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place the sandwich in the pan and set something heavy on top: a cast iron skillet, a brick wrapped in foil, or a panini press if you have one.
- Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp. Flip, press again, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more until the cheese is fully melted.
- Rest 2 minutes so the cheese sets slightly, then slice on a diagonal and serve hot.
The press is the whole recipe. Without real pressure the bread stays puffy and the layers slide apart. Weight it down hard.