I love them grilled like a panini and I do not have a panini maker, I use heavy pan one that has raised grill edges on it and both are cast iron skillets that work great!
I make this sandwich two ways, one on a bun and one on a whole loaf of sesame seeded Italian bread, so the sandwich is not an authentic Cuban because I don't use Cuban bread!!
Use whatever kind of bread you like, I am a huge fan of sesame seeds.
This Cubano is piled high with tender cooked pork (in either the original Authentic Mojo marinade or a beer marinade which we love both) (I will also provide that recipe I use), swiss cheese, mustard and we love our black forest ham.
We had this sandwich once down in Miami Florida and it was fantastic, so I tried to duplicate the flavors as best as I can, it was such a big hit now I always use leftover pork for these sandwiches.
If you love copycat sandwiches you may also like to try my Burger King Whaler or my Arby Beef and Cheddar and for my Central New York Readers, my Harpoon Eddies Italian Sausage Special, these are all spot-on delicious replicas.
This is an easy delicious way to repurpose pork and I bet anyone who takes one bite will say the same as my family, "you can make this sandwich again anytime you want we love it!".
Scroll down and check out the ingredients and print this off for the next time you have that pork roast to use up!
Ingredients You Will Need:
- A full loaf of Cuban bread halved lengthwise ( for my sandwich I use seeded sesame Italian bread or French bread a whole loaf sliced lengthwise. Then cut into 4 sandwiches when prepared.
- butter
- yellow mustard spread thinly on the bread
- sliced black forest or honey-glazed ham
- dill pickles, thinly sliced or get sandwich sliced pickles
- roast pork (using the shoulder or tenderloin see the recipe I use below)
- Swiss cheese slices
- large garlic clove finely minced
- Cooking spray
- Optional: Mayonnaise and keep the pork juice to drizzle over the top from the pork roast.
Roasting the Pork
I use a beer cooked pork shoulder or pork tenderloin, and it's slow-cooked.
The authentic way the Cuban pork is made is using a Mojo citrus-based marinade, recipe below in the printable recipe card for both cooking methods.
Smoked pork or even beef is also delicious if you prefer that flavor.
If you like the smoked flavored pork and don't have a smoker try my "Oven Smoked Pork" using liquid smoke,
Tool You Will Need:
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Spreader for mustard knife
- Forks to shred pork
- Cast Iron grided pan or panini maker
- Heavy skillet, bricks or tomato can to press the sandwich down
- Sandwich flipper spatula large size
Bread To Use:
(use whatever kinds of bread you like)
- Cuban 4 to 8-inch style sub rolls (original recipe)
- Italian Whole Loaf seeded or unseeded
- Rye whole loaf
- Sourdough whole loaf
- French bread whole loaf
- White submarine rolls
- Hard rolls for individual sandwiches
Other Recipes You May Like
Simple Reuben Sandwich
Antipasto Sandwich
Pulled Pork Sandwich
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Cuban Sandwich
My Cubano Sandwich is delicious if you're a fan of the famous Cuban sandwich.
It has all the variations of the authentic pork, ham, and cheese sandwich that likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West.
If you have been to the Miami area and had that experience to taste the original you will enjoy this delicious version.
Also, the pork needs to be marinated in Mojo for an original Authentic Cuban.
Mojo Marinade
Use this instead of the beer marinade
4 medium cloves garlic, minced2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh juiced oranges
1/4 cup fresh juiced limes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
Cook it the same as I did the recipe for my pork shoulder or tenderloin.
Cubano Pork Sandwich
Yield: 4
Prep time: 15 MCook time: 7 MTotal time: 22 M
I made this Cubano sandwich through the memories of flavors in a Miami delicious deli-style shop. We loved it so much I decided to recreate it and it was pretty much spot on. Piled high with pork, swiss, ham and condiments, this is my favorite reproduction ever!
Ingredients:
- 1 - solid full loaf of Cuban bread halved lengthwise ( for my sandwich I use seeded sesame Italian bread or French bread a whole loaf sliced lengthwise. Then cut into 4 sandwiches when prepared.
- butter around 1 stick
- yellow mustard spread thinly on the bread
- 1 pound sliced black forest or honey-glazed ham
- 4 large dill pickles, thinly sliced or get sandwich sliced pickles
- Roast pork (using the shoulder or tenderloin see the recipe I use below)
- 8 ounces (16 each) Swiss cheese slices
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- Cooking spray
- Optional: Mayonnaise and keep the pork juice to drizzle over the top from the pork roast.
Instructions:
- See below for cooking the pork at the end or make your own recipe you like:
- Sandwich Assembly
- Slice the whole leave lengthwise.
- Spread with mustard lightly on one side of the open sliced loaf.
- The other side use the option of Mayonnaise if using ( this was how we had it but if you're not a fan of it, use Mustard on both sides.
- Arrange 4 sliced pickles for each sandwich ( you will be cutting this is four sandwiches).
- Sprinkle randomly with minced garlic.
- Next, add the cheese slices, then ham and pile on the pork sliced.
- Place the top half on the bottom and slice into 4 sandwiches.
- Time to grill it!
- Note: you can make these into sandwiches not grilled also as seen in the photos.
- To cook, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over low to medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil cooking spray and melt around 2 tablespoons of butter for each sandwich you grill.
- Place the sandwiches on the grided cast iron skillet and top with another heavy cast iron skillet (or cans of tomatoes work well).
- Note if you have a panini maker, use that.
- Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size.
- Flip to ensure evenly browned on both sides.
- The bread should be super-crispy and cheese is totally melted.
- Suggestions: serve with beans, and rice, and plantain chips
- For the pork shoulder or tenderloin in beer recipe:
- I use either an oven bag or a slow cooker to make this pork.
- 1 - 4 to 5-pound pork shoulder or tenderloin
- 1 can beer
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon each smoked paprika, cajun spice, and chili powder
- salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
- Add to the slow cooker or oven bag all ingredients and slow cook for 6 to 8 hours on high.
- For the oven bag, cook at 300 degrees for 4 hours depending on the size, check for the instructions in that box to the size of your roast.
- For the Original Cuban Authentic Mojo Marinade
- Mojo Marinade Use this instead of the beer marinade
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh juiced oranges
- 1/4 cup fresh juiced limes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Cook it the same as I did the recipe for my pork shoulder or tenderloin.
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Try My Other Favorite Sauces On Pork
Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce
14 Dipping Sauces and Chicken Wing Recipes
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2016. It was edited and re-published in 2020.