Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban sandwich was not born in Cuba, but in the Cuban worker communities of the cigar factories of Ybor City and Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century, where Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants worked side by side. The combination of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles between slices of pan cubano directly reflects the mix of those communities — Spanish ham, Central European cheese, pickles brought by the area's Jewish colonies. What sets a true Cuban sandwich apart from a simple cold-cut combination is the pressing: the sandwich is pressed under a hot plate (a plancha), not just griddled in a pan. The even pressure melts the cheese through every layer at once and seals the layers of bread to each other, while the thin crust of pan cubano flattens and browns without cracking — a detail many Cubans in Florida insist ordinary, thick-crusted bread simply can't achieve.
The bread used is pan cubano, a thin loaf made with lard
Its crust is finer than a French baguette's, so it flattens and browns evenly under pressing without cracking
Only the outside of the bread gets buttered, not the inside
Just the surface touching the hot press needs to brown and turn crisp
The dill pickles are sliced lengthwise, into long spears
Their tangy juice spreads through the sandwich as it's pressed, balancing the richness of the meats
The sandwich is pressed under a hot plate, not just griddled on one side
The pressure melts the cheese evenly through every layer and seals the bread slices to each other
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1 long, thin loaf (baguette-style)
- Soft butter, for spreading on the outside of the bread
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 200g thinly sliced ham
- 200g roast pork, thinly sliced
- 150g Swiss cheese, sliced
- 4-5 dill pickles, sliced lengthwise
How to make it
- 1PREPARE THE BREAD: slice the loaf lengthwise, without cutting all the way through.
- 2SPREAD AND LAYER: spread mustard on both inner faces, layer on the ham, sliced roast pork, cheese and pickles.
- 3BUTTER THE OUTSIDE: butter the outer sides of the bread, on both faces.
- 4HEAT THE PAN: heat a skillet or a griddle press over medium heat.
- 5PRESS: place the sandwich in the pan, press it down with a heavy plate or another skillet on top, cook 3-4 minutes per side, until the bread turns golden and crisp and the cheese melts.
- 6SLICE AND SERVE: cut diagonally and serve immediately, while hot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
