Growing up, Cuban sandwiches were a part of my childhood.
Aside from ordering ham croquetas, Cuban coffee, and pastelitos de guayaba, I also loved ordering a Cuban sandwich with a batido de trigo here in Cuban restaurants in South Florida.
It was the best thing ever!
What’s in a Cuban Sandwich?
A Cuban sandwich (or a Cubano sandwich as it’s sometimes called) is a Cuban panini, if you will, made with Cuban roast pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickle chips, and mustard served on buttered, pressed Cuban bread.
This popular pork sandwich is said to have originated from Cuban immigrants in Tampa or Key West and later spread in popularity here in South Florida.
There’s always been a bit of a rivalry between Miami and Tampa (and even Key West) in terms of origin and variations. Some serve this pressed pork sandwich with salami, and others with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
In this recipe, I’m sharing how you can make the best homemade Miami Cuban sandwich without salami, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Let’s do this!
When you’re done making this recipe, make another one of my authentic Cuban recipes!
Best Bread for Cuban Sandwich
The best Cuban sandwiches in Miami are made with Cuban bread.
Cuban bread is made with few, simple ingredients and no preservatives which is why it is always so soft and pillowy on the inside.
While there’s no substitute, in my opinion, if you can’t find Cuban bread in your area, you want to use any loaf of bread that is soft in the middle.
French bread could work if you find one that’s not very crusty. Italian bread may do a better job as Cuban sandwich bread for this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mojo marinade. This is a citrus marinade made with orange juice, lime juice, and garlic cloves which gives the pork an elevated flavor!
- Cuban complete seasoning. A mix of spices including oregano and cumin which we’ll use to marinate the pork.
- Cuban bread. An Italian loaf of bread may work if you can’t find Cuban bread. The loaf should be approximately 8-inches long.
- Yellow mustard.
- Swiss cheese.
- Sweet deli sliced ham.
- Dill pickle slices.
- Unsalted butter for pressing the sandwich.
- Sliced Pork tenderloin. You can also use any leftover sliced pork tenderloin or pork shoulder. By the way, you can order a pork tenderloin from Butcher Box.
ButcherBox is a service that curates boxes of grass-fed, no-hormone-added, humanely raised beef, chicken, pork, salmon + sustainable seafood and, they deliver it right to your door. I love getting my box delivered directly to me. There are always specials – like free bacon or free ground beef – you gotta check them out! Click here to find out more info on Butcher Box!
How To Make A Cuban Sandwich
- Marinate the pork. With a knife or fork, poke holes into the pork tenderloin. Place the pork tenderloin in a baking dish and pour mojo marinade on top along with the Cuban seasoning. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The longer the better.
- Cook the roast pork. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade and place it on the baking sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150º. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing on a bias.
You can also make this recipe for Cuban roast pork and use the leftovers to make this sandwich!
- Slice the bread. To assemble the sandwich, slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise.
- Add the ingredients. Spread 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard on each side. Layer the bottom half of the sandwich with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 4 slices of ham, 2-3 dill pickles, and 2-3 thin slices of pork. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches.
- Press the Cuban sandwich. Spread 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter on the outside of both sides of the sandwich. Place the sandwich on a sandwich press, panini press, cast iron pan, or hot grill pan. Press down on the sandwich at medium heat, until both sides are golden brown, and the cheese has melted about 5-6 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and slice the sandwich in half on the bias.
Serving Tips
Cuban sandwiches are pretty much a meal on their own however you can serve them with plantain chips or french fries.
Miami-Style Cuban Sandwich Recipe (Cubano)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin silverskin trimmed off
- 1 cup mojo marinade
- 1 tablespoon complete seasoning
- 2-3 loaves Cuban bread (cut into 8-inch long pieces)
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 16 slices sweet ham from the deli
- Dill pickle slices
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- With a knife or fork, poke holes into the pork tenderloin. Place the pork tenderloin in a baking dish and pour mojo marinade on top along with the Cuban seasoning. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The longer the better.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade and place it on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 150º. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing on a bias.
- To assemble the sandwich, slice the Cuban bread loaf in half lengthwise. Spread 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard on each side. Layer the bottom half of the sandwich with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 4 slices of ham, 2-3 dill pickle slices, and 2-3 thin slices of pork. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter on the outside of both sides of the sandwich. Place the sandwich on a sandwich press or a hot skillet. Press down on the sandwich until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5-6 minutes total.
- Transfer to a cutting board and slice the sandwich in half on the bias. Serve and enjoy!
Kimberly says
Muy bien dicho Jamie! That’s definitely Cuban bread! I had to use Italian bread from a certain bakery in Brooklyn since its not as crusty as the usual I would have to go to uptown Manhattan which is far from me to find good Cuban bread or bread made with lard in general. I miss Miami I always make the sandwich with pernil this is the first time made it with pork loin. Less time to make and came out really good. No sour oranges here so yea I always have to do the orange and lime trick. All in all very good!
Tiffany says
These were so delicious! It makes my mouth water just thinking about how good they are!
Charles Hensley says
That’s not Cuban bread. I was born in Tampa and French bread isn’t close to Cuban bread.
Jamie Silva says
Hi Charles, the bread in the photo is very much Cuban bread. I was born/raised and still live in Miami so I can obtain Cuban bread for $1 in the Cuban bakery that I have across the street from my house. The reason I offered French bread as an alternative to Cuban bread in this recipe is because Cuban bread is not as accessible as it is to me in other parts of the U.S. I invite you to check out my about me page so you can learn more about me and my content before leaving a misinformed comment. Thanks! :)
Kim says
Then you need glasses bro that’s Cuban bread
Jamie Silva says
Lmao thank you. I’m going to work on a Cuban bread recipe. Stay tuned!
Ramya says
will be making this soon can i use mushrooms vegan cheese / butter as am a vegan i never had cuban sandwich before perfect for my office snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya