See more of our 2017 Munch Mania Recipe Tournament.
Our classic Cubano sandwich recipe, made famous in the Tampa Florida neighborhood of Ybor City, features mojo-marinated roast pork tenderloin with deli-sliced ham, Genoa salami and Swiss cheese, thin-sliced pickles and mustard- all layered on soft buttery Cuban rolls grill pressed flat and crispy. We griddled our sandwiches topped with a heavy grill press for the perfect balance of golden crispy crust and rich juicy filling. Any heavy weight such as a cast iron skillet or even a heavy brick wrapped in foil works just as well.
Want to see how its done? Watch the how-to video, too!
The traditional Tampa way to eat Cuban sandwiches is to always start at the pointed side of these diagonal-sliced sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 Valencia orange, fresh squeezed
- 1 lime, fresh squeezed
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. garlic and pepper seasoning
- 1 package (about 1 lb.) pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 (6-inch) Cuban sandwich rolls (soft French or hoagie rolls), split
- 4 tbsp. butter, softened
- 12 slices Virginia ham
- 12 slices thin-cut Genoa salami
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 dill pickles, thin sliced
Preparation
- 1 Combine fresh squeezed orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin and garlic pepper in container; add pork tenderloin pieces and turn to evenly coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours, rotating occasionally.
- 2 Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 3 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add drained tenderloin and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to roasting pan.
- 4 Roast tenderloins for 20 minutes. Let meat rest for 10 minutes; thin-slice.
- 5 Brush outer surfaces of each roll with butter. Layer mustard, Swiss cheese, ham, 4 slices roast pork, salami and another slice of Swiss cheese evenly on bottom half of each roll. Spread mustard on top half of each roll; top evenly with pickles. Close sandwiches with top halves of rolls, pressing firmly.
- 6 To prepare each sandwich: heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat, add sandwich, and press the sandwich down with a heavy grill press or small skillet. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is golden. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
- 7 Serve diagonal-sliced.
