The Best Cubano Sandwich (Pressed or Panini)

This Cubano Sandwich is so hearty and flavorful. It’s a great sandwich for lunch or a quick dinner. 

 

My First Cubano

A number of years ago, I traveled to south Florida to visit family. While there, they took me to the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. Founded by Spanish-Cuban immigrants, they specialize in authentic Spanish and Cuban cuisine.

The Columbia Restaurant has some of the best Cuban sandwiches in town. It was there that I had my first authentic Cubano (also known as Cuban) sandwich. While there were several excellent Cuban restaurants in the area, a number of leading publications voted this the best Cuban sandwich recipe – locally and nationally.

I have to say, it was a wonderful sandwich. Savory ham, salami and roast pork, tangy pickles and mustard, melty cheese and buttery, sweet Cuban bread. Just a great combination of ingredients in a delicious and hearty sandwich.

​Pulled Pork – The Essential Ingredient

Personally, the thing I think makes for the best Cubano sandwich recipe is the pulled pork. Delicious smoky, slow-cooked pork is one of my favorite meats overall.

As it was, I happened to had recently made a large batch of slow cooker pulled pork and was looking for something interesting to make with it. Thinking back on the wonderful Cubano I recently had, I thought I would create my own Cubano sandwich recipe.

(Note: Slow roasted pork is so easy to make and it’s so tender, juicy and delicious. What I love about having this pulled pork on hand (it freezes beautifully) is its versatility. It’s great tossed with barbecue sauce for pulled pork sandwiches, you can use it for tacos, quesadillas and even southwestern pulled pork egg rolls, it’s all so good!)

Preparing the Cubano Sandwich

So, my latest creation are these Cubano sandwiches. They’re a snap to make, so they’re perfect for both a quick dinner, maybe paired with some south of the border sausage and black bean soup, or a hearty lunch with some crispy French fries.

Choosing Your Ingredients

First, you need a good, hearty bread that can handle being pressed or put into a panini maker. Instead of using a loaf of bread, I decided to use hoagie rolls.

The hoagie rolls have some depth to them so your sandwich isn’t super thin when done pressing. And, they don’t have a crispy crust like a French bread or a crusty Italian bread might have (those tend to get too hard and crunchy for me after pressing).

Next, of course, my favorite part – the smoky, juicy pork. As I mentioned above, I had some leftover pork from a slow cooker pulled pork recipe I had recently made. You can use that recipe, find some at your local grocery store or smoke your own (I use this recipe when doing my own smoking of a pork shoulder or butt).

Then (because you can’t have too much pork on a sandwich) comes the ham. I like to use a higher quality deli ham, but feel free to use what you have on hand.

I tend to go with more of a smoked ham as opposed to something like a honey ham. The smoked ham just goes so well with the pulled pork.

As for the pickles, I think the dill pickle planks are the best. I think the dill flavor better compliments the pork and ham than say sweet pickles or butter pickles.

For the slices of cheese, I stick with the old school Swiss. The layers of Swiss cheese melts so well in a panini maker.

And, finally, the ingredient I see so many restaurant try to get too fancy on a Cubano – the mustard. To me, regular yellow mustard is simply the best to use. The combination of yellow mustard and dill pickles gives the sandwich a great tanginess.

Pressed Sandwich or Panini

Whether you are pressing or using a panini maker, the first thing to do is apply mustard to the bottom and top piece of bread. Then, layer on the other ingredients on the bottom of the roll and top with the top of the roll.

If using a panini maker, preheat and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy. If pressing, I like to preheat a heavy skillet, place sandwiches in the skillet and press using a spatula.

Tips and Tricks for Making a Cubano Sandwich

• Since you will be pressing the sandwich, either in a panini press or with a spatula in a skillet, a soft hoagie bun is the best choice for bread. It will get perfectly crispy while it cooks.
• If you don’t have access to smoked pulled pork this slow cooker pulled pork is a good choice. If you are going to smoke a pork butt, this is my go-to recipe. You can also check your grocery store’s deli to see if they carry pulled pork.

Ingredients Needed to Make a Cubano Sandwich

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Hoagie rolls – A soft roll works best as you are pressing the sandwich.
• Yellow mustard – I highly recommend yellow over spicy brown or dijon. Yellow mustard adds just the right amount of bright flavor and tanginess.
• Sliced good quality deli ham – It’s worth a couple extra dollars for good quality ham.
• Sliced dill pickle planks – I like the planks because you will get pickle in every bite.
• Cooked pulled pork – My preference is smoked pulled pork, but if you don’t have a smoker, this slow cooker pulled pork is a great alternative. You can also check to see if the deli at your grocery store has smoked pulled pork.
• Sliced swiss cheese

How to Make a Cubano Sandwich

• Preheat a panini maker or skillet to medium heat.
• Slice hoagie roll in half lengthwise.
• Spread a generous amount of mustard on each side of the hoagie.
• Top with ham, pickles, pork, Swiss cheese slices and the top of the hoagie bun.
• Put in the panini maker or skillet. If you’re using a skillet, use a spatula to press the sandwich and flip the sandwich halfway through cooking, about 3-4 minutes.
• Cook until hoagie is crispy and cheese is melted.