Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)
This classic Cubano is loaded with juicy mojo pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles, all pressed to golden perfection. It's the kind of sandwich that disappears fast, so you might want to make two!
Servings: 8
Calories: 341kcal
Cost: 8
Recipe Link
Equipment
- Grill Pan , or grill or panini press
Ingredients
For the Pork:
- 1 lb pork tenderloin *
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice and zest from ½ an orange
- Juice from 1 lime
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika , or regular
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Sandwich:
- 8 ciabatta rolls *
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup pickles *, dill or bread and butter pickle slices
- 8 slices ham , deli smoked or honey mustard
Instructions
Marinate and Cook Pork:
- Season pork with salt and pepper on all sides. Add marinade ingredients to a ziplock bag or a bowl. Add pork and massage meat in marinade to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to one day. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow to come to room temperature.1 lb pork tenderloin, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, Juice and zest from ½ an orange, Juice from 1 lime, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon Dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- On a grill, in a grill pan or in a skillet over medium high heat, cook pork loin for 7-10 minutes on each side, rotating slowly, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove to a plate, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly for sandwiches.
Assemble Sandwiches:
- Slice ciabatta rolls or Cuban bread roll in half horizontally. Lightly butter the ousides of the bread. Spread mustard on each inside slice of bread. Layer a slice of cheese, pickles, ham, salt and pepper, pork, then cheese again. Sandwich with top piece of bread.8 ciabatta rolls, 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard, 8 slices Swiss cheese, 1 cup pickles, 8 slices ham
- Cook sandwich in a hot panini press or in a hot skillet, pressing them down with a cast iron or heavy pan on top to toast them into a panini-style sandwich.
Video
Notes
Pork: Cuban sandwiches are often made with braised pork shoulder. I prefer to use tenderloin because it cooks much quicker, but leftover pork from carnitas or pulled pork would work great!
Bread: A traditional Cuban sandwich is made with a long, crusty loaf of Cuban bread. We like to use ciabatta as it's easier to find, but a loaf of French Bread or artisan bread would work, or make the Cuban Bread from scratch.
Pickles: You can use pickles sliced lengthwise or pickle chips, whichever you have on-hand. You can also substitute bread and butter pickles instead of dill pickles if you prefer.
Make Ahead Instructions: Marinate pork up to two days before cooking.
Freezing Instructions: For best results, freeze sandwiches before toasting. Wrap them in aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag or container to freeze for up to 2 months.
To Reheat Cuban Sandwiches, place them on a warm skillet with a lid to rewarm the sandwich and toast the bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 1mg
