Cuban Sandwich

The ultimate pressed Cuban Sandwich layered with juicy roast pork, smoky ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, all toasted until golden and melty.
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Marinade
- ▢ 1 lb boneless pork shoulder
- ▢ 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ▢ ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ▢ 1 lime zested
- ▢ 1 orange zested
- ▢ 2 tbsp oregano
- ▢ 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- ▢ 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ▢ 2 tsp cumin powder
- ▢ ½ cup olive oil
- ▢ 1 tsp salt
- ▢ 1 tsp black pepper
Pork Roast
- ▢ 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ▢ 2 bay leaves
- ▢ 1 red onion roughly chopped
Cuban Sandwiches
- ▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- ▢ 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- ▢ 4 loaves cuban bread 6-inch/15cm
- ▢ 10 oz deli ham sliced
- ▢ 2 slices salami
- ▢ 8 slices swiss cheese
- ▢ 4 pickles thinly sliced
- ▢ 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Trim pork shoulder and remove excess fat.
- To make the marinade, combine orange juice, lime juice, zests, oregano, coriander, garlic, and cumin. Whisk in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside
- Place pork in a pressure cooker with chicken stock, bay leaves, onion, and marinade. Cook on low until tender, about 40 minutes.
- Remove pork and slice thinly. To make the sauce, strain cooking liquid into a saucepan, reduce by half, add cornflour and stir until thickened. Once it’s reached desired consistency, stir in Dijon mustard. Remove from heat and set aside
- Split bread loaves, spread sauce, then layer pork, ham, salami, cheese, and pickles.
- Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high. Place sandwiches, cover with baking paper, press down on top with something heavy (I use another pan that’s a touch smaller), and cook 3 minutes per side until golden and cheese melts.
- Let stand 1 minute before cutting. Serve hot.
Notes
Tips for Success:
Because these sandwiches deserve to come out perfectos every single time.
- Marinate longer: Overnight is best. The pork gets juicier and the flavors really soak in.
- Don’t rush the press: Keep the sandwiches weighed down so the bread crisps and the cheese melts evenly.
- Bread swap: Can’t find Cuban bread? Use soft French bread or Italian rolls avoid crusty baguettes (too hard to press).
- Pickles matter: Go for dill pickles, not sweet ones, for that signature Cuban tang.
- Pork ahead: Roast the pork a day before and just reheat slices when you’re ready to assemble.
Nutrition
Calories: 898kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 34g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 2402mg | Potassium: 1306mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 902IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 483mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.