Authentic Cuban Sandwich

By deanarrca

This is an awesome sandwich and probably the most popular sandwich where I live. Every Deli and Grocery store around makes and sells Cubans (The sandwich not the people LOL). No party is complete without a Cuban Sandwich platter.

Ingredients

• cuban bread
• butter
• yellow mustard, (The cheap stuff. NO Dijon here)
• mayonnaise
• pork roast, cold -- thinly sliced
• ham, thinly sliced
• swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• dill pickles, thinly sliced, (It's not authentic without the pickles! I don't care if you don't like pickles. The pickles are not optional.)

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

Slice the bread in half lengthwise; Butter the outside if you are going to press the sandwich in a sandwich press otherwise you don't need to butter the outside. Mix mustard & mayonnaise together (not an exact science but more mustard than mayonnaise, around maybe a 2 to 1 ratio of mustard to mayo) then spread on bread inside bottom half and top half. Then build sandwich from bottom up in this order. Must be in this order. Place thinly sliced ham on bottom bread, then on top of the ham place roast pork, cold and not overcooked, thinly sliced, next swiss cheese thinly sliced, and finally dill pickle slices. Top with top piece of bread. For an authentic cuban you now need to place the sandwich in a preheated sandwich press, or you can improvise using a hot iron skillet placing a foil covered brick on top to press. Toast to your taste and serve. If you don't have a sandwich press skip this step and eat. They are fantastic pressed and unpressed.

DO NOT ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THIS SANDWICH! You may leave out the mayo if you must- There is some difference of opinion on how authentic the mayo is, but do not add anything else to this sandwich. Some places add salami but salami is not authentic -it was added by Italian immigrants. Never, Never add tomato or lettuce.

If you can't get Cuban bread where you live see my recipe for Crusty Cuban bread.
(You can substitute Italian or French bread but then it won't be Authentic.)