Cuban Pork Sandwich, Cubano
Get ready for a house favorite sandwich of your life! This Cuban pulled pork sandwich is the stuff dreams are made of. It’s a great way to use leftover pork. And it can feed up to 4 people with 1 sandwich. Four!
From the first time we tried one, the pressed Cuban sandwich or “Cubano” has been our favorite sandwich. It’s like nothing we'd ever had before. Some people will say it’s a fancy ham and cheese. It is so, so much more than that.
Traditional Cuban sandwiches combine pulled pork And Ham with sliced pickles and melted thin slices of Swiss cheese. The whole thing is nestled on a long roll schmeared with yellow mustard and then pressed in a hot, buttered pan. Sheer perfection.
And it’s not our favorite either. The whole family devours these!
What Is a Cuban Sandwich?
A Cuban sandwich, also called a Cubano, is a hot pressed sandwich traditionally made with roast pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread. Once assembled, it is buttered and pressed until the outside is crisp and the cheese is completely melted.
It may sound like a dressed-up ham and cheese sandwich, but the combination of rich pork, salty ham, tangy pickles, and sharp mustard gives it a flavor all its own. Our version uses pulled pork and French bread, which makes it straightforward to recreate at home when traditional Cuban bread isn’t available. But if you can get your hands on Cuban bread, do it!
Why Authentic Cuban Sandwich Recipe stays in the rotation
- Straightforward to cook – layer the ingredients together between your roll and press in a hot skillet.
- Great way to use leftover pulled pork – we make these every time we have leftover pork.
- Feeds four people with one sandwich – And everyone raves about it!
- Hearty and satisfying – packed with both ham and pork.
Cuban Sandwich Ingredients
- Fresh loaf of French bread – Traditionally, “Cuban bread” is used for this classic sandwich. We can’t usually find Cuban bread near us, so we use the French loaf as a decent substitute.
- Mayonnaise and Mustard
- Swiss cheese
- Sliced pickles
- Black Forest ham – you can use almost any ham, but we find Black Forest has a house favorite flavor for this sandwich.
- Cooked pulled pork – we love to make this sandwich when we have leftovers of our Crockpot Pulled Pork.
- Butter – for heating and pressing the sandwich.
Substitutions & Alterations
- French bread – Authentic Cubano sandwiches use “Cuban bread”. A specific type of roll made with lard and topped with palmetto leaves while baking. We're not able to find traditional Cuban bread near us, so we use a loaf of French bread. You could also use Italian bread.
- For the ham – You can also use Genoa salami along with the ham to create a “Tampa-style” pressed cuban sandwich.
- Make from-scratch pickles! While store-bought pickles are great, you can also make your own with this Dill pickle recipe.
How to cook a Cuban Sandwich (Step by Step)
This plain cuban sandwich recipe couldn’t be easier. Follow these plain steps.
- Split the bread in half lengthwise from top to bottom.
- Spread the mayonnaise on the inside of one half and the mustard on the inside of the other half.
- To the bottom half of the roll, add half of the Swiss cheese, then the pickles, followed by the ham, the pulled pork, and the remaining Swiss. Place the top half of the bread on top.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the butter to the hot cast iron skillet.
- Once the butter melts, add the sandwich and place a bacon press or heavy skillet on top of the sandwich.
- Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are crispy and hot.
- Slice and serve with any of the great side options listed for you below.
Tips & Tricks for this plain cuban sandwich recipe
- If you want, you can combine the mayo and mustard together and then spread it on both the inside of the top and bottom of the roll.
- Feel free to Make your own pulled pork Or purchase store bought.
- You can also use a panini press for this rather than a bacon press and skillet.
What to Serve with Cuban Sandwiches
We love to have a couple sides with these satisfying sandwiches. This batch is a few of our favorite options to go along with them.
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Crispy Potato Wedges
- Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
- Smoked Baked Beans
- Mexican Corn Casserole
How to keep Leftover Cuban Sandwich
Wrap any leftover sandwich tightly in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat a Cuban Sandwich
You can reheat your leftover sandwich in the oven or the microwave.
In the Oven – Leave the sandwich in the foil. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the foil-wrapped sandwich in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until warmed through.
In the Microwave – Remove the foil from around the sandwich. Reheat the sandwich on a microwave-safe plate on high for 1 minute or until warmed through completely.
Cuban Sandwich FAQs
Prep 10 minutesCook 6 minutesTotal 16 minutesMakes 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 loaf fresh French bread
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- 10 slices thin swiss cheese
- 8 slices dill sandwich pickles
- 12 slices thin black forest ham
- 2 cups cooked pulled pork
- 3 tablespoons butter
Method
- Split the bread in half length wise, splitting the top from the bottom.
- Spread the mayonnaise on the inside of one half and the mustard on the inside of the other half.
- To the bottom half, add half of the swiss cheese, then the pickles, followed by the ham, the pulled pork, and the remaining swiss. Place the top half of the bread on top.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet .
- Once melted, add the sandwiches and place a bacon press or heavy skillet on top.
- Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are crispy and hot.
Notes
- If you want, you can combine the mayo and mustard together and then spread it on both the inside of the top and bottom.
- Feel free to make your own pulled pork or purchase store bought.
- You can also use a panini press for this rather than a bacon press and skillet .
