Cuban Sandwich With Pulled Pork, Ham and a Proper Press

It is 12:40 on a Sunday, the pulled pork in the fridge has been quietly waiting for a better future, and you are hungry in the specific way that only a pressed sandwich fixes. This Cuban sandwich recipe starts with pre-cooked pulled pork, so the work is slicing, layering and pressing: 13 minutes of prep and about 20 at the stove. It is lunch with layers, a grilled cheese with a better resume and no interest in small talk.

Warm pulled pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and mustard on french bread, pressed until the outside crackles.

The bread is sliced lengthwise, the pork warms in a skillet, and the stack goes together in a particular order: mustard on the bottom, pork, ham, cheese, pickles. Butter on the outside, a heavy pan on top, and the skillet does the rest. If a grilled cheese ever dreamed of a bigger life, this is what it wanted, and this Cuban sandwich recipe delivers it in one skillet.

How to make it

1. Slice 1 loaf of french bread lengthwise and cut into 4 equal sandwich portions.
2. Warm 12 oz pre-cooked pulled pork in a skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Spread 1 tbsp yellow mustard on the cut side of each bottom bread half.
4. Layer each sandwich with the warmed pulled pork, 2 oz deli ham, 2 slices swiss cheese, and dill pickles from the 1 cup.
5. Close the sandwiches and spread the outsides lightly with 3 tbsp butter total.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Press each sandwich with a heavy pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the bread is golden and the cheese melts.
7. Slice each sandwich on the diagonal and serve hot.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days in the fridge, per USDA FSIS. Wrap pressed halves tightly and reheat them in a skillet over medium heat with a weight on top, which brings the crust back better than a microwave does. Reheat to 165°F, per USDA, to be safe with meat leftovers.

Assembled and unpressed sandwiches from this Cuban sandwich recipe can wait in the fridge for a bit, wrapped, until you are ready to press. The pickles can make the bread damp if they sit too long, so assemble close to cooking time.

The pre-cooked pulled pork warms in a skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This step matters: warm pork melts the cheese from underneath and keeps the sandwich from tasting like it came straight from the fridge. The 12 oz is meant to be divided over four sandwiches.

The recipe divides the 8 oz of deli ham at 2 oz a sandwich, with 2 slices of Swiss each. The pickles come from the 1 cup, layered on top of the cheese. The butter goes on the outside, 3 tbsp total across all four, so it is a thin layer, enough to color the crust without making it greasy.

Swaps that actually work

The point of this Cuban sandwich recipe is the pork, ham and Swiss pressed together with mustard and pickles. Leave that combination alone and the rest can bend.

French bread is the base here, with a crisp crust and soft middle, and the SwipeCart agent will put a loaf in the cart that looks like it has somewhere to be. Think of the bread as the part that holds everything together while the rest of the stack misbehaves. A baguette works, and so do hoagie rolls or any sturdy loaf, as long as you can slice it open and fit it under the pan. Soft sandwich bread tends to flatten and go gummy under a press.

The pulled pork stands in for the roast pork you would usually find in this sandwich, and it is the shortcut that makes lunch fast. Leftover roast pork, sliced thin, works the same way. Swiss is the classic melter; provolone is a fine stand-in.

Dill pickles are what you want here, because their sharp tang cuts the richness of the pork and cheese. If you use pickle chips, pat them dry first. Yellow mustard is in the recipe, and its sharp edge is part of the flavor, so go with the plain kind.

The swap that costs you the dish: skipping the press. Without the weight, the sandwich is just a warm sandwich. A heavy pan on top, or a second skillet with a can in it, is what turns the stack into a Cuban. It also gives you something to do with your hands while the cheese turns to lava, which is the best part of the Sunday.

If it goes wrong

The bread is burned but the cheese has not melted. The heat was too high. Lower it to medium, as the recipe says, and give each side the full 3 to 4 minutes. If the outside is dark already, cover the pan for 30 seconds to finish the cheese.

The sandwich is soggy. The pickles were wet or the pork was swimming in juice. Pat the pickles dry, drain any liquid off the pork, and press a little longer on each side.

It falls apart when you cut it. It was cut too soon, or the layers were too tall. Let it rest for a minute after pressing, then slice on the diagonal with a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.

It tastes flat. It needs more mustard or more pickle. A thicker swipe of mustard and a few more pickles brighten the whole stack. Salt comes from the ham and the pork, so reach for sharpness before salt.

What to serve with it

The default is a pile of chips or a pickle spear on the side, because it is a sandwich and it wants a sidekick.

The better version is a crisp salad with a lime vinaigrette, or fried plantains if you want the full tropical mood. A bowl of black beans and rice turns this sandwich into a proper dinner.

What lifts it from the fridge: extra pickles, extra mustard, or a hot sauce splash. Cuban sandwiches make a fine next-day lunch if you reheat them in a skillet with a weight on top, and a second pressing gives the bread a fresh crunch.

Why this one earns its place

You swipe it on a lazy Sunday because it looks impressive and takes little skill. The agent shops the bread, the pork, the ham, the Swiss and the pickles, and you spend your energy on the press, which is the fun part anyway.

It is also an easy dish for two, or for four, since it comes in portions. A Cuban sandwich recipe like this one is for the person who wants to impress someone at lunch without admitting how simple it is. We will keep your secret.

If you want more, try Pork Gyro, BBQ Pulled Pork, or the meal planning and food waste post for putting leftover pork to work.

More like this: all Caribbean recipes in Crave Corner.