Cuban Sandwich

Recipe courtesy Cafe Habana, New York City

Show: Sara's SecretsEpisode: International Sandwiches

Rated 4 stars out of 5
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Read 19 Reviews
Total Time:
4 hr 12 min
Prep
45 min
Inactive
12 min
Cook
3 hr 15 min
Yield:
6 servings
Level:
Intermediate
x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please limit to 20 characters

Saving Recipe

Adding Recipe

Or Do Not Add

Success

This recipe was saved to your Folder_Name folder.

x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to save this recipe to your Recipe Box!!

25 Characters Max

Enter Time:

:
:

You can create up to five timers

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 6 long sandwich rolls, split in half - French loaf style bread
  • 6 thin slices Black Forest ham
  • 12 thin slices imported Swiss cheese
  • 2 kosher dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 pounds Roast Pork, thinly sliced or shredded (about 3 cups), plus reserved pan juices, recipe follows
  • Kosher salt

Directions

In a mini food processor, combine the mayonnaise and chipotles and process until smooth. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with the chipotle mayonnaise. Assemble the sandwiches with the ham, cheese, pickles and roast pork. Top the meat with a spoonful of the pork pan juices and season with salt. Close the sandwiches and tuck in any overhanging filling.

Using an electric sandwich grill press, grill the sandwiches in batches until crispy and hot.

Alternately, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set a large skillet or griddle over moderately low heat. Arrange the sandwiches on the griddle and cover with a large baking sheet weighed down with a heavy skillet. Cook the sandwiches, turning once, until they're crisp on the outside, about 6 minutes.

Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately; pass the remaining pan juices separately.

Roast Pork:

  • 1 (8-pound) pork shoulder, boned
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons adobo-style seasoning
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

Using a small, sharp knife, make 1-inch-long slashes in the skin of the pork shoulder, about 2 inches apart. Rub the garlic into the slashes and along the underside of the pork.

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, oregano, pepper, adobo seasoning, and salt and pepper. Stir in the green pepper and onion, then add the pork, skin side up. Refrigerate overnight turning the meat once or twice. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast until very tender, about 3 hours. Let cool in the liquid. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and discard the skin and fat. Strain the pan juices into a glass measure and skim off the fat. Slice or shred the pork, as desired.

Cook's note: The pork can be refrigerated for up to 3 days

Print Recipe

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Food Network to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be signed in to review this recipe.

Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 19 reviews

  • on May 05, 2011

    Flag

    one of my favorite sandwiches, ever! pork marinade is awesome!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on January 23, 2011

    Flag

    This is Wonderful! Since I've never had the sandwich before, I have nothing to compare it to, but my husband and father-in-law had them in Florida, and both agreed that these are fantastic--the chipotle mayo made all the difference. I don't like Swiss cheese, so I used manchego (saw it on another recipe and it was perfect. Cooked them on a Foreman grill, and it "squished" them nicely with a little pressure. Had to use hoagie loaves, but they were so yummy...might try making Cuban bread from scratch next time!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on November 06, 2009

    Flag

    the pork is FANTASTIC! i'm not sure what so many of the reviewers are talking about, but this recipe does not call for lettuce, tomatoes, etc. as for the chipotle, if you don't want it, don't include it! (i didn't i go to a very authentic local restaurant to get my cubano, and the basic sandwich is served with a little bit of mayo, a little bit of mustard, dill pickle, and onion - this is how my cuban friends get it too, cuz its delicious! they also offer to put lettuce and such on it if you'd like, which caters to american palettes. when you go to a sub (hero, etc. shop, adding lettuce and tomatoes does not change the name of the sandwich - they're just add ons. i make a shephards pie with ground turkey; some people use ground beef; traditionally its made with lamb. still always called shephards pie. maybe sara should have given a caveat with this recipe, but these chefs do these recipes so often, they try to put their own spin to separate from the pack. plus, its the restaurant's recipe...

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Next Recipe

Cuban Sandwich

Cuban Sandwich

By: Ingrid Hoffmann
Rated 3 stars out of 5
Advertisement

Free Recipe of the Day Newsletter

Let Food Network chefs plan what's for dinner, with quick and easy recipes delivered to your inbox daily.

Ads by Google

© 2012 Television Food Network G.P. All rights reserved.