I Just Love Cubans (Photos)

The people of and from Cuba are great, but it's the sandwich named after them that gets my love.

I had my first one a long-long time ago in Tampa and then Miami, followed by other places where Cubans have settled. As I understand, this is an old sandwich, going back to the turn of last century. People might tell you that they were favorites of cigar rollers and sugar mill workers. Here is how we make them at our house.

Need:

Good bread. This is a 14 inch Baggett about five inches wide and four inches thick. I halved our bread with the larger portion going to me. I sliced it open and (as a personal preference at our house) slightly hollowed it out. The intent in doing that is to cut the calories a little and help keep the finished sandwich a little thinner. We dry the removed bread to make bread crumbs so as not to waste it.

Good ham. This is spiral sliced and lightly smoked. Use as much as you like. I have seen them pretty thick.

Good pork. This is the last of a tenderloin we cooked this weekend. We slice it pretty thin across grain for our Cubans. I have seen shredded pork used and that is fine.

Some Cuban sandwiches might have salami. You'll never see any salami on mine.

Swiss Cheese, enough for both sides for me.

Mustard - The classic Cuban probably only uses yellow mustard. We use honey mustard which goes nicely with the pork. We mix our own with about half and half slightly more yellow mustard than honey.

Bread and butter (Sweet) pickles. Tonight used the very last of Miss Kay's home canned bread and butter pickles. We'll miss them and remain hopeful that she will remember us this year when she makes her secret recipe. Any bread and butter pickle will do. You can see the mustard seeds in these. I don't mind that at all.

Butter to brush the bun.



A nice flat griddle - Seasoned cast iron for me and Weights for flattening the sandwich as it cooks. Some use a big foil wrapped brick, some use a Panini press and that is fine if it is flat. I happen to think the corrugated Panini presses (like we have) is not a Cuban Sandwich. I actually use several cast iron skillets to provide maybe ten pounds weight. They have always worked fine.



Lets assemble the sandwich

Apply the mustard to both sides of the bread. This is a lot of the flavor for the finished sandwich so don't be shy with the mustard.



Then Swiss cheese to both sides, ham, roasted pork and bread and butter pickles.



Butter the side that will go on the hot griddle first.



Then the other side when the sandwich is on the low/medium hot griddle.



Now add the weight.



You need enough to flatten the sandwich as it cooks.



At low to medium heat, the first side will take about three minutes.



And about the same for the other side. The weight placed on top of the sandwich needs to be enough to flatten it as it cooks. Help it with a heavy hand if needed.

Cook the sandwich slowly enough to brown (toast - crisp) the bread, heat the meat thoroughly and melt the cheese. I serve mine with kettle chips.



Great Sunday night meal.




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