here in florida there is a very large latino population. one of their favorite sandwiches is the cubano or cuban sandwich. here is how a deli called "three guys from miami" make theirs. also below is their cuban pork recipe as well. this is good stuff. Cuban Sandwich Cuban bread or (Substitute French bread if you must, but NOT a baguette!) Butter, softened 1 pound ham sliced (Use a good quality ham.) 1 pound lechón asado (roasted Cuban pork) sliced (see the following recipe) 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced (Use a mild Swiss -- we like Baby Swiss -- it has only a few holes.) Sliced dill pickles (dill "Sandwich Stackers" work great) Yellow mustard (optional) Mayonnaise (optional) To make four generous sandwiches: Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan. Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half and spread butter on both halves (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous! Place the sandwich on the hot griddle (fry pan) sprayed with a little "Pam" or lightly greased. Place a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich to flatten. (You really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!) Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not TOO HOT! Otherwise, the crust will burn before the cheese melts. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve. Medianoche Use all the same ingredients, except use a medianoche bread loaf. This sweeter bread, and smaller size, is the only difference between a medianoche and a Cuban sandwich! Tip: Let your meats and cheese come to room temperature. This way you avoid burning the bread and the cheese melts perfectly! This is especially helpful when you have a lot of meat in your sandwich. For extra flavor, sprinkle a little mojo (or meat juices if you make the recipe below) on the meat before adding the cheese. Using mustard or mayonnaise is a personal choice. We find that the best Cuban sandwiches don't need either ingredient. The butter, natural meat juices and yes -- even the pickle juice give it all of the moistness and flavor it needs. At lunch counters we've seen many people dipping their sandwich into a little mustard. So it is perfectly acceptable to serve these condiments "on the side." And yes, people from Tampa, we know you claim to have invented the Cuban sandwich (we're not even going to go there!) and it isn't a Cuban sandwich without Genoa salami -- but that is an addition that is unique to Tampa. You won't find salami on a Cuban sandwich in just about any city that we know about! So Tampa Cubans, take pride in the fact that your Cuban sandwich is truly unique. As for the argument that a "true Cuban sandwich" is never pressed, well we have to say if you really like it that way in Tampa, then eat it that way! Roast Pork For Cuban Sandwiches 2 lbs. boneless center pork loin roast 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp. salt 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 cup sour orange juice (If you can't get sour oranges in your area, try equal parts orange and grapefruitor 2 parts orange to one part lemon and 1 part lime) 1 cup minced onion 1/2 cup Spanish olive oil Mash the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle. (A rolling pin on a cutting board works pretty good too.) Add dried oregano, onion and the sour orange to the mash and mix thoroughly. Heat oil in small sauce pan, add the mash to the oil and whisk. Pierce pork roast as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork. Pour garlic mixture (save a little for roasting) over pork, cover and let sit in refrigerator for two to three hours. Using a suitable roasting pan or rack, sprinkle remaining marinade over pork and cook uncovered at 325°F. Roast until completely cooked (160°F), about 20 minutes per pound. Baste occasionally. Bring pan juices to a boil and simmer until the juice is reduced by half. Sprinkle some juice onto the pork when you put it in the sandwich.
