The Best Cuban Sandwich Recipe
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If you’ve ever taken that first bite of an authentic Cuban Sandwich, you know you are in for a real treat with this Cuban Sandwich Recipe. First, comes the sweet buttery bread a sandwich loaded with Cuban pork shoulder roast, cheese, smoked ham, and pickles.
We truly believe that this is the best Cuban sandwich. It is a complete meal between two slices of bread. It’s sweet, tangy, eggy, and everything that I could want in a Miami Cuban Sandwich Recipe.
This post was updated from 2019 to improve readers’ experience. New images were added to show the Best Bread to use when making a Cubano Sandwich. No changes were made to the recipe.
The best sandwich that’s ever come out of my kitchen was the reason for that beautiful Cuban bread recipe.
Our son lives in Southern Florida and we had our first experience with Miami Cuban food shortly after he moved there.
We fell in love with their authentic Cubano sandwich, and I set out on a quest to make a Miami Cuban sandwich recipe from my own kitchen. (If you are looking at a local menu, Cuban restaurants generally call this sandwich a Cubano Sandwich.)
Since first making my Cuban Sandwich recipe I’ve learned that there is also a Cuban sandwich called a Cuban Medianoche sandwich. The recipe that we used is featured in the cookbook “Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban by “The Three Guys” from Miami.
They use the Medianoche bread and call it a Cuban Sandwich but technically it could be a Medianoche. After much debate, we made our Cuban Sandwich on Cuban bread instead of Medianoche rolls. I’m just the cook so if you’re passionate about the difference, take it up with the pros!
In the meantime, you’ll need to make the bread to build the best Cuban Sandwich ever.
What is the difference between a Cuban sandwich and a Medianoche?
A Medianoche consists of roast pork, ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, and sweet pickles. It is a close cousin to the Cuban sandwich. The chief difference is that a medianoche is made on soft, sweet egg dough bread similar to Challah rather than on crustier Cuban bread. It can also substitute dill pickles for sweet pickles.
You can make our Cuban sandwich on Medianoche bread. I highly recommend it!
Cuban bread is a fairly simple white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread.
How to Make a Cuban Sandwich
Cuban Sandwich Ingredients
- Bread Rolls made from our Cuban Bread recipe.
- Cuban Roast Pork – Marinated Pork Shoulder or Butt Roast. You could use a pork tenderloin but we love the texture of the roast.
- Thinly sliced Ham
- Swiss Cheese
- Dill Pickles
- Mustard – tangy yellow mustard is traditional but we put a spin on ours. See the recipe card for the details.
NOTE: You only need 1 pound of the pork for 4 sandwiches, but we baked the entire pork roast and then freeze our leftover pork for a future dinner, making a delicious no-fuss meal when we are too busy to cook or just don’t feel like it.
Mojo Pork Recipe
The pork that’s layered on our sandwich is called mojo pork. It’s a marinated pork butt (shoulder).
Step 1: Mash the garlic, salt, and peppercorns into a paste, using a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
Step 2: Make “sour orange juice”, which is a combination of orange juice, lemon, and lime. Combine the sour orange juice with the garlic paste, onion, and oregano. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Heat oil in a saucepan until hot. Remove the oil from the heat and quickly AND CAREFULLY whisk the garlic-orange juice mixture until well blended. Let cool before using it as a marinade.
Step 4: Place the pork butt into a roaster and pierce the pork butt several times with a large fork or knife. Pour the marinade over the pork butt. Cover the pan and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the lid from the pork and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225ºF and roast until the pork can easily be pulled apart with a fork. Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes. I roasted my pork until it reached an internal temperature of 175°F. Let rest for 10 minutes. Pull the pork or slice it.
How to assemble this Miami Cuban Sandwich
There is only one way to build this sandwich!
“The Three Guys” from Miami state there is only one way to build this sandwich. On buttered Cuban bread, place the pickles, roasted pork, ham, and then cheese in that order. Mustard is optional. We combined Dijon mustard with a little sriracha sauce. The difference is amazing.
Tips for this Amazing Authentic Cuban Sandwich Recipe
To make this sandwich less time-consuming, bake the bread and prepare and slice (or shred) the pork roast on the day before you want your Cuban sandwiches. Assemble and press right before serving.
Four sandwiches only take one pound of meat. I freeze what I don’t use so we always have Cubanos without having to roast the pork each time. You can freeze the meat in sandwich portions in plastic freezer bags or vacuum sealing bags.
Cooking time depends on the size of your roast.
The Three Guys from Miami recommend that you let your meat and cheese come to room temperature so the bread doesn’t get over toasted before the cheese melts.
We recommend that you toast the inside of the bread so the pickles don’t make your bread soggy.
I add a little Sriracha to Dijon mustard. It adds a delicious little kick to the sandwich and I recommend that you spread the mustard evenly over the entire inside of each piece of bread so every bite is perfect.
FAQ’s
- What is a Cuban Sandwich? A sandwich made by CUBANS! The ingredients inside a Cuban sandwich are simple: ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and if you’re in Tampa, salami.
- Where did the Cubano sandwich originate? Since I posted this recipe, I found out there’s been a rivalry between the folks with Cuban ancestry about where this sandwich originated. Some say Miami, Tampa Cubans, or one article on its history states it was created by an influx of immigrants.
- Is a Cuban sandwich served hot or cold – We serve our Cuban sandwiches hot and immediately after pressed (panini style). They can also be served at room temperature but the bread will become hard if pressed and allowed to get cold. If you choose to serve cold, don’t press the bread.
- What is the best bread for a Cuban Sandwich? You can find Cuban bread in a Cuban bakery. We chose to serve our Cubanos on our Pan Cubano Bread. You could also substitute our slightly sweet eggy Media noche Bread Recipe or with a long, soft baguette, or French or Italian breads as long as they’re not crusty.
- What is the best ham for a Cuban sandwich? Sweet cured or smoked ham, Serrano, or bolo ham. I used honey ham which contrasted nicely with the tangy mustard and pickles and the sweet Cuban bread.
- What to serve with Cuban Sandwiches? Rice and beans, Cuban Black Beans, fried plantains, or french fries. Not vegetables or a lettuce salad! Oh and a Cuban Rum Cake.
- Alternatives for a panini press?
- If you have two cast-iron skillets, you can heat them both up on the stove-top. Put the sandwich in one and top the sandwich with the other one.
- You can also wrap a brick in foil and place it on top of the sandwich if you only have one cast-iron skillet. You’ll have to cook the bread for 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium heat.
- You don’t have to press the bread as we do but recommend that you butter the inside of the roll and toast it to a golden brown to bring out the sweet buttery flavor.
If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
The Best Cuban Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
Sandwich
- 4 Cuban Bread
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 lb Cuban Roast Pork
- 8 slices sliced ham (sweet cured or smoked, Serrano, or bolo ham – I used honey ham
- 8 slices Swiss Cheese
- Dill pickle slices
- Mustard optional I used a Dijon but a spicy brown would be great or just yellow too.
- *Sriracha Optional
Cuban Roast Pork (Mojo – Marinated Pork)
- 4 pound Pork shoulder roast (also known as a pork butt)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 cup sour orange juice I used 2/3 cup 100% orange juice (not from concentrate, 1 lime juiced and 1 lemon juiced)
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup olive oil Spanish if you have it. I used Italian
Instructions
Cuban Roast Pork
- Mash the garlic, salt and peppercorns into a paste, using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Stir in sour orange juice, onion and oregano. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan until hot but not frying hot. You'll see some movement in the oil. Remove the oil from the heat and quickly AND CAREFULLY whisk the garlic-orange juice mixture until well blended. Let cool before using as a marinade.
- Pierce the pork roast several times all over with a fork or sharp knife. Place it in a roasting pan and pour garlic mixture (save a little for basting while roasting) over pork. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for two or three hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Remove lid from the pork and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 225°F and roast until the meat is soft and you can pull it apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Baste occasionally while roasting. I roasted mine to an internal temperature of 175°F. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Sandwich Assembly.
- Butter the inside of the top and bottom of the bread and spread the mustard. Put the pickles on the bread, followed by the roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!
- Butter a hot griddle or pan. Place the sandwich on the pan and using a heavy skillet, bacon press or foil wrapped brick, or panini press, flatten the sandwich for approximately 3 minutes and then flip to the other side.
- You don't want you pan so hot that your bread burns but it needs to be hot enough to melt your cheese. Cook until the bread is golden brown.
- Slice the sandwich diagonally and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
We love a great sandwich, and the definition of a good sandwich is whatever you put between two slices of amazing bread. Some of our favorite sandwiches include Italian Beef Sandwich Recipes, Italian Sub Sandwich, and Peanut Butter Chicken Sandwich.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
My mother-in-law gave me a panini press/grill. We’d been wanting one and she never used hers so we were the beneficiary!
Now that we had a panini press, we could make them without a foil-covered brick or a cast iron skillet…or so we thought.
We squished the bread until the whole thing slid apart as you can see. The ham slid to the back and the cheese and pork to the front.
You asked me to post some less-than-perfect results. My perfectionist self is doing it under duress.
Even though the first attempt tasted amazing, our Panini skills needed some work as you can see! Like anything, practice makes perfect.
On the hunt to try the soft egg bread version now that Ive had the cuban variety! Loved the crunchy bread and the crunch of the pickles with the melty cheese and tender pork! LOVED a lot! Thanks!
Thank you, Michele!
I love cuban sandwiches! These would be such a hit at my house!
Thank you Madi! We love them too!
I’m not too familiar with Cuban food, but this sandwich looks delicious. The roast Cuban pork looks like it’ll be a family favorite. And, I love the before & after panini skills photos.
Thank you Debi!
A Medianoche sandwich with its special bread is my husband’s favorite and you have done it perfectly.
Thank you Karen!
Great sandwich Julie!! I love a good Cuban Sandwich…and thanks for hosting Fiesta Friday with me! 🙂 🙂
Thank you Linda! There were some mighty tasty submissions this week and I loved co-hosting with you!
Oh Julie, this looks amazing… my mouth is literally drooling, I bet it is really hard have just one of this!
Thank you so much! These sandwiches were pretty good so half was fine for me. John had 1-1/2 which was perfect for him. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I’ve always wanted to make a Cuban sandwich, especially after watching Chef. I can’t wait to try this, and the bread recipe too!!!
Thank you, Matt! You will love this bread! I’m going to make it again and love that I have leftover pork in the freezer. It’s like dinner money! I sure hope you will stop back and let me know what you think. Enjoy your day! Julie
I’ve never had a Cuban but it looks absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing these at the fiesta! Now I have to go wipe the drool off my keyboard lol. Happy FF!
Thank you, Ai! We had our first Cubano about 5 years ago and can’t get enough of them now. This bread would be good on so many sandwiches.
I am totally drooling here Julie, this looks incredible! And to be honest, it looks pretty perfect to me!
Thank you, Michelle! I’m very happy that we found a recipe that was so good to make at home too.
I never had a Cuban sandwich but obviously I have been missing something good. Sour orange juice – that’s a new one! Thanks for co-hosting this week 🙂
Thank you Judi! Sour orange was a new one for me too and not available where I shop. I used the citrus mix and it was really good. I just love hosting FF. They are the best bloggers ever. I wish I had more time to do it more often. People that don’t do it don’t know what they’re missing!
This sandwich looks so good, Julie! Your photos are making my mouth water! 🙂
Thank you, Nancy! We really enjoy these sandwiches. I’m glad that I roasted extra pork so can make them much quicker next time.
Ok, ignore what I said on your other post. THIS IS my favorite medianoche snack! Ok, not snack, but a full meal. This is my favorite medianoche meal! What?! You mean you never had a medianoche meal?!
Thank you, Angie! I’d had a couple good Cubano sandwiches but they don’t exist in Nebraska so had to learn to make this sandwich. I will be searching the Three Guys cookbook for more. We sure loved their recipes.
Oh my gosh, Julie! I can’t believe that I have been known to say that I don’t like sandwiches! These look like something I actually want to eat! Yum!
I used to say the same thing Julianna and that’s because the bread was dry and the ingredients boring. I’ve had an attitude change with this one! Thank you!
I love a good sandwich and if I had this one I am not sure I would have made it to photograph is before it was in my belly! Yum! I had a panini press but got rid of it when I moved as I have to admit I never used it and now am thinking it might have been a bit rash!
Thank you for co hosting Fiesta Friday and have a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you Petra! I’ve done that too I hate having stuff I don’t use and then have fleeting thoughts that maybe I should have hung on to it. I’ve lived a long time without one and if this wasn’t given to me I might not have one yet. You can use another pan or a brick too.
OMG! That sandwich looks heavenly. I love the thick slices of pork shoulder, the gooey cheese and that bread – i would kill for that bread. You have me drooling right now!
Thank you, Lily! I’m happy that I still have some of that pork in the freezer. It’s like dinner money in the bank.
I had a Cuban sandwich once and it was in Costa Rica! I love your recipe it brings back memories of our first vacation without the kids!
I’ll be making this for him. I wonder if he’ll remember too!?! Lol
Thanks!
Michelle
Do make it for him Michelle! Maybe a date night? I’ve never been to Costa Rica but it’s on my bucket list!
Yum! Cuban sandwiches are so underrated.
Thank you, Debbie! I always just thought they’d be too much work, but they really aren’t and are so good. Are you expecting any bad weather this weekend?
Just a cold front that is supposed to produce rain, but nothing from that awful storm out there. I really feel for Florida. Really scary what that monster is doing!
It’s 39 here this morning and it rained all day yesterday with tornado watches. Go figure. My son lives in Miami and we were pretty nervous but it looks like they dodged the worst of it. Cold and rain…time to bake!
Burrr! We could get down into the 40’s next week. I’m ready though! I hope your son stays safe and the storm doesn’t circle back around. What a mess! I know quite a few people down in FL.Pray that everyone stays safe!
Thanks Debbie! Have a wonderful weekend!
I love Cuban sandwiches and yours look incredible! Especially with that bread 🙂 YUMMMM!
Thank you so much Sarah! I could o.d. on that bread my friend! Have a wonderful weekend!
My husband is a sucker for a good cuban sandwich and I’ve tried a few different recipes. This one looks like one we HAVE to make!
Oh Jasmine, I don’t think he will be disappointed. Please give it a try and let me know what your husband thinks. We have one place in town that we can get them and they’re good. We keep trying them at other places and they’re are just meh. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!
I had never tried these until I was in FL. They are soo, soo good. Thank you for the recipe and pictures. Very well done!
The best were in Florida Dan! They ruined me for any others until these. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving me such a sweet comment! My pictures are a work in progress….
yes please! Looks amazing and great for dinner for me and the kids!
Oh Katie, your kiddos would love these and since I cooked an almost 5-pound pork shoulder I have leftovers in the freezer for the next time I whip up that bread. Thank you so much for stopping by and have a marvelous weekend!
I have a panini press that I don’t use nearly enough. My husband loves Cuban sandwiches. I will have to give these a try. Your photos are gorgeous–all that melty cheese is making my mouth water 🙂
I needed a panini press class, Lucy before I dove into this sandwich. I don’t know why I didn’t experiment first. Regardless it was delicious! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have an amazing weekend!
Oh yum, I adore a great Cuban sandwich and this looks amazing!
Thank you, Karly! I’m very happy that we have one we can make at home without being constantly disappointed in a midwest restaurants version of a Cuban sandwich!
Oh man alive does everything looks gooooood in this post! ilove the look of the bread and the pork, am totally salivating here right now 😀
Thank you, Jo! My husband ate these sandwiches three days in a row. Time to pull the rest of the pork out of the freezer LOL!
Still looks plenty good to me Julie. Great job; now I’ve got something to do with my panini press (that I rarely if ever use lol) 🙂
Thank you Jess! I needed a panini press tutorial LOL. I mushed this poor sandwich to death but got better after John’s third day of eating them.