Cuban Sandwich with Mojo Marinated Roast Pork

This Cuban sandwich recipe combines citrusy, tender roast pork with sliced ham, mayonnaise, mustard, Swiss cheese and pickles, which are then pressed on a baguette until the buttery bread is golden and crisp. While I am not always a fan of pickles or mustard, there’s something about all the ingredients together that makes my mouth water. I love any variation on a ham and cheese sandwich – like this American monte cristo sandwich or French croque madame. This sandwich is extremely popular in Florida, created in areas with Cuban communities to cater to workers.

What’s in a Cuban Sandwich?

• Roast pork
• Ham
• Swiss cheese
• Pickles
• Mayonnaise
• Yellow mustard

Key Ingredients in a Cuban Sandwich

• Roast pork – The roast pork is marinated in a citrusy combination to infuse the pork with flavor. It’s hand sliced before it’s added to the sandwiches and can be made a few days in advance.
• Ham – Cubans also include deli-sliced ham. I prefer to use dry-cured, slightly smokey black forest ham.
• Swiss cheese – I prefer deli-sliced cheese to hand sliced cheese in this recipe so the cheese evenly melts in the sandwich.
• Pickles – I use dill pickles in this recipe though bread and butter pickles instead.
• Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise helps to keep this sandwich moist. As the sandwich is pressed the mayonnaise seeps into the crisp bread.
• Yellow mustard – With a strong, slightly bitter taste, yellow mustard, a classic American condiment is created from ground mustard seeds mixed with vinegar.
• Bread – A crusty bread won’t press as well as a loaf of Cuban bread or French bread. Cuban bread is a fairly simple white bread though it often contains lard. Look for bread with a thinner crust so that as it presses the outside remains crisp but the juices from the roast pork don’t seep though and make it soggy.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Steps to Make a Cuban Sandwich

Step 1

Make the marinade for the pork, blending the ingredients together.

Step 2

Then add the marinade to a large re-sealable plastic bag with the pork shoulder

Step 3

Preheat the oven. Place a rack in a roasting pan and add the meat. Roast until cooked through and tender.

Step 4

Let the meat rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice the pork and set aside.

Step 5

Slice the bread in half to create rolls then slice in half again.

Step 6

Spread mayonnaise on the bottom of each sandwich and mustard on the top half of each sandwich.

Step 7

To assemble the sandwich, layer 3 slices of the roast pork followed by slices of ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles.

Step 8

Butter the bread and add to a panini press. Press the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, about 4 minutes each side.

Step 9

Remove and cut the sandwich in half. Serve immediately with extra pickles and potato chips.

How to Make a Cuban Without a Panini Press

This sandwich requires a panini press or, if you don’t have a sandwich press then use another skillet stacked on top of the sandwich as a weight to press it cooked in a cast iron pan. Flip the sandwich half way through cooking. While traditional Cubans don’t include mayonnaise I like to add a little bit to my hot sandwiches because it melts into the bread and keeps everything moist.

Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).

Cuban Sandwich with Mojo Marinated Roast Pork

By Kylie Mazon-Chambers

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 6 hours hrs

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Serves 4 (6-inch) sandwiches

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the mojo marinated roast pork:

• ▢ 3 pound boneless pork shoulder
• ▢ 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• ▢ 1 packed cup cilantro
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ▢ 1 cup orange juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lime zest
• ▢ ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• ▢ ¼ packed cup oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Cuban sandwiches:

• ▢ 2 (12-inch) loaves Cuban bread (or French bread)
• ▢ ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ ¼ cup yellow mustard
• ▢ 12 slices thinly sliced ham
• ▢ 12 slices Swiss cheese
• ▢ 4 Dill pickles, thinly sliced
• ▢ Unsalted butter, at room temperature, as needed for pressing

Instructions:

For the mojo marinated roast pork:

• Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder.
• In a blender add the olive oil, garlic, cilantro, orange zest, orange juice, lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin salt and pepper, and pulse to combine.
• Put the pork in a re-sealable 1-gallon plastic bag; add the marinade and close, removing any air. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Let the pork come to room temperature. Place a rack in a roasting pan and add the meat. Roast for 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 325ºF (170ºC). Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the roast reads 185ºF (85ºC), about 4 hours.
• Let the meat rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice the pork and set aside.

For the Cuban sandwiches:

• Slice the bread in half so you now have 4 rolls, then slice each piece in half lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom of each sandwich and mustard on the top half of each sandwich. To assemble the sandwich, layer 3 slices of the roast pork followed by slices of ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles.
• Close the sandwich and spread butter on the Panini press and on the top of the bread. If using a skillet, heat over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the Cuban and the other skillet as a weight on top. Press the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, about 4 minutes each side.
• Remove and cut the sandwich in half on a 45º diagonal. Serve immediately with extra pickles on the side.

Nutrition:

Calories: 1309kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 94g | Fat: 94g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 51g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 257mg | Sodium: 1716mg | Potassium: 1636mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 577mg | Iron: 5mg

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