Pressed Cuban Sandwiches for the Crew

Name: Pressed Cuban Sandwiches for the Crew
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 4 Lb Pork Shoulder; 4 whole Cuban Bread Loaves; 1.6 Lb Deli Ham; 17 slices Swiss Cheese; 2.4 Cups Dill Pickle Chips; 3/8 Cup Yellow Mustard; 3/8 Cup Sour Orange Juice; 7 cloves Garlic Cloves; 7/8 Tbsp Dried Oregano; 1/4 Cup Butter

Roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard on pressed Cuban bread for ten

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 30 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Cuban press night—roast pork, ham stack, griddle-crisp bread for ten

Why crews like it: Cubans are a complete meal in one press. Pork grills ahead and holds at 170°F; sandwiches press in batches when the crew sits.

1027Cal

97gProtein

12gCarbs

63gFat

Ingredients

4 Lb Pork Shoulder
4 whole Cuban Bread Loaves
1.6 Lb Deli Ham
17 slices Swiss Cheese
2.4 Cups Dill Pickle Chips
3/8 Cup Yellow Mustard
3/8 Cup Sour Orange Juice
7 cloves Garlic Cloves
7/8 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1/4 Cup Butter

Instructions

Mojo-marinate pork: Rub pork shoulder with sour orange, garlic, oregano, and salt. Marinate at least 4 hours.
Grill roast pork: Grill pork over medium 400°F, turning, until 195°F internal for slicing, about 90 minutes total. Rest and slice thin.
Hold sliced pork: Hold sliced pork covered at 170°F in hotel pans until sandwich build.
Build cubans: Spread mustard on bread. Layer ham, Swiss, pickles, and sliced pork. Butter outside of bread.
Heat griddle: Preheat griddle to 375°F for pressing.
Press sandwiches: Press cubans with weight 4 minutes per side until bread is flat, crisp, and cheese melts.
Hold wrapped: Hold pressed cubans wrapped in foil at 170°F up to 25 minutes.
Line for ten: One cuban per firefighter. Cut diagonal before serving.

Tonight's spread

Pressed Cuban sandwiches with plantain chips.
Black beans and rice on the side.

Hall tips

195°F pork shoulder slices thin and juicy—don't pull early.
Press with real weight—a spatula alone won't shatter the crust.
Pickles and mustard balance rich pork and ham fat.

Meal prep

Grill pork at 400°F to 195°F for slicing. Hold pork at 170°F up to 45 minutes. Press sandwiches at 375°F, 4 minutes per side with weight.

Leftovers

Cuban halves re-crisp on griddle next day.
Pork slices into rice bowls with mojo.

flat-top griddle
griddle or flat-top
panini press
instant-read thermometer
sharp knife