For something so simple — it’s not even considered a main course — the Cuban Sandwich has sparked as much debate as any presidential election, and far more disdain between camps than the century-old Yankees/Red Sox rivalry. Purists of the concoction have varying mindsets. There’s salami vs. no salami; sweet pickle vs. sour pickle; and mustard on the bread vs. mustard on the side vs. no mustard.
About the only thing everyone can agree upon is the bread and the meat. And the fact that a Cuban Sandwich must be firmly pressed while cooking.
It’s not exactly clear whence el cubano came. Some culinary historians point to the obvious origin of Cuba in the mid-19th century, while many others insist that Tampa, Florida — the Ybor City neighborhood to be precise — is where it all started just a few years before the turn of the 20th century. Either way, theorists seem to agree that Cubans did invent their namesake sandwich.
As to the version of el cubano that’s truly authentic? Depends on whom you ask. The Tampa-style (with salami)? Or the stuff they serve near Florida’s southernmost tip? Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado told NPR a few years ago “If my abuela would have seen salami in a Cuban sandwich she would do the sign of the cross and say that’s a sacrilege.” Still, sandwich makers in Ybor City have been putting salami (or hard-to-find salchichón — Spanish summer sausage) on their Cuban Sandwiches since the beginning.
If you’ve eaten a Cuban Sandwich beyond the city limits of Miami or Tampa, chances are it wasn’t the real deal. Sure, it might’ve been filled with sweet ham and tangy roast pork, but Cuban bread is a rarity beyond the aforementioned locales. Cuban bread (or just bread, if you’re Cuban) isn’t much different than your average French white loaf, except it includes lard. The addition of pork fat makes the crust a little … crustier, but affects the aroma of the bread more than anything else.
I prefer a Cuban Sandwich made with easy-to-find ciabatta bread, but French bread also works quite well. As for the roast pork, you can marinate a shoulder roast in two cups of sour orange juice (or sub 2 parts orange juice with 1 part lime juice); a TB of ground cumin; small sliced onion; a couple of minced garlic cloves and a pinch or oregano — then slow roast for a few hours. Or, you can use a few slices of last night’s dinner. While your creation, or mine for that matter, isn’t exactly what they serve in Little Havana, it’s a helluva tasty nosh.
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Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban Sandwich — Little Havana style
- 2 sandwich-sized slices - Ciabatta or French bread
- 2-3 thick slices (or 5-6 thin slices) - Ham plus equivalent amount of roast pork
- Slice - Swiss cheese
- 2 - Dill pickle sandwich 'planks' (or 3-4 round 'chip' slices)
- 1 TB - Butter
- Mustard (optional)
- Heat griddle to 250F.
- Butter top and bottom (outer crust) of bread.
- If using mustard, spread a thin line on inner part of bread.
- Build the sandwich: Ham - Roast pork - Pickles - Cheese.
- Grill the sandwich about 3 minutes per side, using a sandwich press or a cast iron skillet to flatten it.
- Add butter to griddle and grill each side of sandwich for about 30 seconds more, or until golden brown and slightly crunchy.
- Slice on the diagonal.