Cuban Sandwiches–a Family Favorite

We had pork tenderloin the other night and intentionally made extra so that we would have plenty to make Cuban sandwiches. Here’s how we make them:

1 lb. thinly sliced roasted pork–I prefer the loin or tenderloin for this purpose

1 lb. deli ham

16 slices cheese–Havarti, Gouda, or Emmenthaler

Dill pickle slices (we use homemade)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tbsp yellow or spicy brown mustard

8 slices sourdough bread–we love the sourdough from Aldi

Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a bowl. Lay out your bread slices and spread the mayo/mustard mixture on each slice.

Top each slice of bread with cheese (you will need two slices for each large slice of sourdough).

Top one side with pickles (you want to cover the cheese–usually about 8 pickle chips), then the pork and the ham evenly between the four sandwiches.

Put the tops on the sandwiches and spray them with non stick cooking spray.

Place them sprayed side down in a non-stick skillet and use a cast iron pan to weight the sandwich down. (We usually do a bunch of these, so we cook them on a griddle and weight them down with a cookie sheet and a pot of water so we get a good pressed sandwich.)

I used a large cast iron pot to weigh down the sheet pan. Be careful when you lift the sheet pan–it’s hot. You need potholders.

When the first side is brown, spray the tops of the sandwiches and flip them and repeat the process. Usually we know that they are done because of the cheese sizzling on the griddle. These sandwiches are huge, so four of them will feed 8 people. Don’t be scared to make extra. They are surprisingly good cold.