Honey Mustard Smoked Pork Cubano
My take on a classic sandwich, the Cubano. I love how simple yet delicious a Cubano is and my take is truly one of the best Cubanos I have ever had. Not to mention, I love even more that you can build this sandwich to be high in protein with decent macros since the main component is smoked pork and the add-ons are mustard and pickles which are basically no calories.
The Ingredients
Bread: The bread is likely the most important part of a Cubano. Cuban bread, similar to French bread, is flakey and delicious but also thin to give the perfect ratio's for the Cubano. It's worth seeing if you have a local Cuban bakery to pick up (which is what I did). If not, you can look up and get French bread or challah bread and remove some of the center bread to get a similar feel.
Meat: Commonly, Cubanos are made with deli meat ham or some sort of pork. I chose to go with my hint of honey mustard smoked pork recipe since I always have left overs and recommend doing the same!
Cheese: Swiss cheese is a typical go-to but one of my college roommates always used muenster cheese for any melty sandwich and got me hooked. I truly can't go back, so I did muenster here and highly recommend. The butter flavor of the cheese pairs so well with the Cuban bread and it melts perfectly every time.
Toppings: I like to keep things rather traditional with the thinly sliced pickles and regular yellow mustard. However, it also taste pretty good adding a few shoestring potato chips directly onto the sandwich.
Assemble and Serve
To make the sandwich you want to make similar to a panini/grilled cheese. I make it all on the Blackstone but you can do in a pan or panini press. Super simple to make but I heat up my meat on the Blackstone to start to get it nice and warm. Then cut open my bread and warm it up to and then layer with meat and cheese. Heat a little longer until the cheese is melt then add mustard and a layer of pickles. Next press it all together and its ready to enjoy! I think a side of mustard is necessary as a side for a Cubano, but mustard is one of my favorite condiments, so realize not everyone needs this. Other honorable mentions for sides are potato shoe strings, friend plantains, and/or Cuban rice. Take your pick!
Meet Margot Searls
Hi, I'm Margot Searls and my hope is to turn around recipes from my table to yours. I truly believe the food you are putting on your table can turn around your lifestyle for the better (hence turned around table).
Honey Mustard Smoked Pork Cubano
Equipment
- Blackstone We used the Blackstone to cook but, if don't have one, you can easily make in a pan on the stove, in a panini maker, or under the broiler in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Thinly Sliced Cooked Pork Tenderloin See link to my recommended recipe or substitute with your favorite sandwich protein.
- 1 Loaf Cuban Bread, if available Can also do a loaf of soft French bread but recommend trying to find Cuban bread or making it.
- ½ Jar Sandwich Sliced Dill Pickles
- 10 Slices Munster Cheese
- ¼ Cup Yellow Mustard Save some for dipping
- 1 Tbsp. Salted Butter
Instructions
- Refer to my pork tenderloin recipe linked and follow the recipe. If not, make sure you have some pre-cooked protein.
- Pre-heat Blackstone to 300℉ (or oven/stove)
- Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise into two halves (if cooking on stove may also want to slice into sandwich size chunks)
- Lightly butter your preferred surface (we used Blackstone). Start heating pork directly on the Blackstone or skillet.
- Place bread facedown until heated (a minute or two) then flip over and start building your cuban.
- Layer cheese and pork (can cover until it get melty) and let sit another minute
- Add pickles and spread mustard generously.
- Combined the sandwich halves and press down with a grill press or spatula.
- Slice your sandwich into your preferred serving sizes and serve with a side of mustard.