The Cuban sandwich (the Cubano) is on my top three list of favorite sandwiches of all time! It consists of multiple types of ham/pork and cheese. Some of the pork is Smoked Pulled Pork (for my version), Polish ham, and salami. All these are complemented with Swiss cheese, pickles, and homemade spicy mustard that I make. Once all of these tasty ingredients are strategically layered, it gets placed on a hot griddle surface, with grooves, to toast the buns and melt the cheese.
These iconic sandwiches are typically found in the most southern parts of Florida. Like Key West, Miami, or Key West. Here, you will find that most of the Cuban Sandwiches have roasted pork that is thinly sliced instead of smoked and shredded pulled pork. Either way, if you prefer this sandwich, it is amazing and you will be satisfied.
Okay, let’s get into the recipe!

Cuban Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 4-6 lb Pork butt
- 3-4 tbsp Your favorite pork seasoning
- Hot sauce as a binder
- Thinly sliced Polish ham from the deli
- Thinly sliced salami
- Thinly sliced swiss cheese
- 1 pack Cuban bread
- Bread and butter pickles or ones you prefer
Spicy Mustard
- ⅔ cup Mustard
- 2 tbsp Hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Video
Instructions:
- Start off by prepping your pork butt by applying hot sauce as a binder. Apply to the whole surface area of pork butt and then season generously with your favorite pulled pork rub. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes and place it on the smoker at 250 degrees F. With some hickory wood chunks. Spritz every hour with apple cider vinegar.
- When the internal temperature hits 165 degrees F. (About 5 hours) Wrap with butcher paper, and spray the butcher’s paper with apple cider vinegar before wrapping. Place back on the smoker until probe tender (about 3 hours) and place in a cooler to rest for 2 hours, now shred.
- While it is resting, make your spicy mustard sauce. Mix mustard, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a mixing bowl and place in the fridge till it is needed.
- Have your prepping station set for the assembly of the Cuban Sandwiches. Slice your bread in half, long ways, and build your sandwich in this order: Spicy mustard sauce, Swiss cheese, Polish ham, salami, Swiss cheese, pulled pork, pickles, and more Swiss cheese. Add your top bun and press down to smash it together.
- On a hot plancha (griddle that has grooves) apply some cooking oil and place your Cuban sandwich on the grooves. Add your cooking presses and smash the sandwich down to make it as thin as possible. Make sure this pressure is on the sandwich for 90-120 seconds while the sandwich is toasting. Remove the presses and slip the sandwich, repeat the same process.
- Remove from the griddle and slice to serve
- Enjoy with family and friends!
The Cuban sandwich is a classic recipe shown in many travel videos and articles. It’s a delicious, flavorful sandwich that can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This recipe shows you how to make the perfect Cuban sandwich using pulled pork, salami and ham. Videos are also provided on my Instagram and Youtube to show you how to prepare the sandwich properly. Enjoy!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS CUBAN SANDWICH? YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT MY OTHER BEEF RECIPES IN THE LINK BELOW!
Items used in This Recipe
Leave a Reply