Having grown up in Tampa, George knows a good Cuban sandwich when he sees one (or rather, eats one). According to him, it should be made with Cuban bread. It should have roast pork. It should have pickles. It should be pressed. Anything less would just be a sub. Being in North Carolina and far from Cuba and its bread (or even a Publix), Stephanie took on the challenge to try to make as authentic a Cuban as she could. Lucky for her, it got two thumbs up.
Ingredients
1/2 pound thinly sliced ham (Stephanie used Boars Head)
1/3 pound thinly sliced roast pork*
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound Swiss cheese
One loaf Cuban bread**, cut in half lengthwise
Kosher dill sandwich pickles
Yellow mustard
Mayonnaise
1/2 stick butter, melted
Directions
Open up bread and spread surfaces with both mayo and mustard. Evenly layer the meats, topping with cheese. Distribute pickles down the length. Assemble sandwich with top. Use a sandwich press if you have one, brushing the outer surfaces of the sandwich with melted butter and cooking on medium to medium high heat until golden, pressing and flipping once. The cheese should be starting to melt. Cut on the diagonal into as many pieces as you want – 2″ if you want to serve as an appetizer, otherwise into sandwich serving sizes. Makes one to two long sandwiches, depending how long your Cuban loaf is, and how high you stack your ingredients (warning: the more meat and cheese, the harder to press).
*Stephanie cannot find Boars Head roast pork in NC, so she buy a small tenderloin, roast it in the oven and slice it as thinly as possible.
**Cuban bread is difficult to find, so she uses the closest thing.
a little of each 