This is the Cuban Pork Cubanos sandwich from theย Chef movie, including homemade Mojo Marinated Pork. Did you know that the food for the movie was createdย by none other than LA Korean-fusion food truck original and rockstar chef Roy Choi? AND these are great for FREEZING!
This is the โleftoversโ recipe from the Juicy Cuban Mojo Pork Roast I posted last week from the movie โChefโ. I raved about the movie in that post so I wonโt repeat myself!
Theย real star of the movie are the Cubanos which are cuban pork sandwiches. Iโve had my share of great sandwiches, particularly during my foodie road trips across the US. But Cubanosโฆ.they have always held a special place in my heart, ever since that first bite I unsuspectingly took in a random Cuban diner in Miami. It wasnโt even in the Latin neighbourhood, it was on South Beach!
I didnโt really even know that cubanos were a โthingโ. I just ordered a cuban sandwich, knew it was better than any sandwich Iโd ever had in Australia (even fully loaded ones from up market bistros!) and that it even rivalledย Shake Shack (which is saying somethingโฆ.because I amย obsessedย with American burgers!).
To be honest though, after I returned to Australia, I forgot about the Cubanos, lost amongst the memories of all the other amazing food we had on our travels throughout the US.
Until I watchedย the Chef movie.ย Boy, it brought back a flood of memories!
I didnโt actually think to makeย Cubanos myself until I saw this Cuban Sandwich recipe by the lovely and talented Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom (one of my favourite blogs, endless source of inspiration!). And recently, I happened to receive a delivery of pork from Murray Valley Pork,ย aย premium range of Australian pork. It was just โmeant to beโ!
I posted the Mojo Marinated Pork recipe separately, because it is SO GOOD it deserves to be served by itself as a centrepiece roast (and you only need a bit of leftovers for this recipe). Please, please, pleaseโฆ.if you make these Cubanos, please use the Mojo Marinated Pork. Especially if you are in Australia because I can tell you thatย even pork slices from the most expensive deli you know will not come close to the garlicky, herby, citrusy flavours infused throughout homemade Mojo Marinated Pork.
Now, if youโll excuse me, I need lunch. And to pretend Iโm back in Miami. ๐ย โ Nagi
More Burgers, Sliders and Sandwiches
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Steak Sandwich โ super quick
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Chicken Burger โ juicy seasoned chicken breast steak with the lot!
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Nandoโs Peri Peri Chicken Burger โ chicken marinated in a homemade flavour bomb Peri Peri sauce
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Pastrami Sandwiches โ Rye bread piled high with homemade pastrami. EPIC!
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Veggie Burger โ Meatless made amazing. Puts those doughy bricks at the shops to shame!
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Cuban Pork Sandwich (Cubanos) from Chef Movie
Ingredients
- 2 thin slices baked leg ham
- 4 large , thin slices Mojo Marinated Pork
- 2 pieces of white baguettes , 6 inch/15 cm in length, cut in half
- Melted butter , for brushing
- American mustard
- 2 thin slices Swiss cheese
- 2 or 3 dill pickles , thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Add ham and pork slices, and cook each side until slightly browned then remove to a plate.
- Butter cut sides of baguettes then place in the skillet, cut side down, for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove onto work surface.
- Layer the bottom of the baguettes with pork, ham, then cheese and pickles. Cut, break or fold the ham, pork and cheese so they fit. Spread the cut side of the bun tops with mustard then place on the sandwich.
- Butter the bottom AND top of the outside of the baguettes.
- Heat skillet over medium high heat. Place the baguettes in the skillet, top with a sheet of baking paper then weigh it down with a heavy skillet or pot (use cans if necessary for extra weight so the sandwich compressed). Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is melted.
- Let sandwiches stand 1 minute before cutting in half. Serve IMMEDIATELY.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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Between this and the CHICKEN SHAWARMA last week you made me look very competent in the kitchen. Other reviewers seemed concerned about not finding Cuban Bread, but any fresh bread will do. As a matter of fact I made a loaf of french bread and timed it right for once so the bread was still warm with a crunchy crust. Great intense flavor even when made with pork tenderloin.
Chef John on Food Wishes and allrecipes.com has videos for making his version and a video/recipe for making authentic Cuban bread.
You made this too???? Youโve been busy Jim! N xx
The sandwich turned out good, but the best part for me was the coleslaw I made with the mojo sauce. That was delicious. Iโm going to have to make that again one day.
Yum! What type of dressing did you use for the coleslaw? ๐
Ola queria saber, nรฃo entendi sobre o mojo como fazer porque da minha traduรงรฃo deu uns invertes
I just used one of those pre-mixed coleslaw bags with the veggies and the dressing. Of course those always turn out pretty sweet and kind of insipid, but the sweetness of the dressing worked really well with the tartness of the mojo sauce.
Unfortunately, in Australia, you donโt have access to Cuban bread. Although your recipe is spot on for the sandwich ingredients, the bread is a key factor. Cuban bread is nothing like a baguette. The crust is this extreme thin and crisp that will crackle under your fingers and the inside is as light as a feather. Nothing like a baguette. Donโt get me wrong, in a pinch, Iโd use just about any bread to make a cuban! LOL
I would highly suggest giving a go at baking some Cuban bread. The key is the lard. If the recipe you find online doesnโt have lard in it, donโt bother.. itโs not Cuban bread. Living in sunny South Florida, I can find Cuban bread on just about every corner store, but I have made it before too.
Trust me, when I say that your Cuban sandwich experience will be amplified ten fold by using the proper bread. It has this thin crisp crust that isnโt chewy like a baguette and gives the perfect texture when cooked and pressed. The experience is โokโ with some other bread, but the Cuban bread is a โmust haveโ. Youโll thank me. ๐
Lastly, I make a bunch of Cuban sammies at one time for the family. I get out my griddle and use that. I take a sheet pan and pile bricks on top of it. I can usually make 6 at a time this way. Because you arenโt using the proper bread, I can see in your photos that your Cuban is squished but way too bready. Cubans are flat almost. Perhaps try to scoop some of the baguette bread center out a bit. One of the secrets in Cuban sandwiches is the squish. You gotta flatten it out.
I totally agree with you on the mojo marinade. However, occasionally when I make roast pork for a meal, I buy a bigger cut so I have leftovers. Even that is better then the deli roast pork which often lacks flavor.
I am an American, but my maternal family is Australian. We had a bunch of them here for a wedding this summer. Of course, we made Cubans! LOL I had to sadly tell them that they had to either make the bread or forget that yummy warm sandwich they enjoyed. Itโs all in the bread. Moral of this story is, if you love Cubans that muchโฆ MAKE THE BREAD! ๐
Totally agree, the key to a good cubano is using cuban bread. And also agree that cuban bread is totally different than a baguette. Like Troy-Leigh, I can get it in every store in town with our huge Cuban population. I canโt imagine a cuban sandwich being on anything but โcubanโ bread, otherwise itโs just a ham and mojo pork sandwichโฆIโm sure itโs tasty, but NOT a cuban.
So so so tasty I simply loved it , not only I invited 20 friends to taste it they loved it , everyone say hi and thanks to this beautiful receipt
YAY! So glad you and your friends loved it! N x
Making these today. I made my mojo pork marinade last night and heaven awaits me and my dinner party pals tonight. Thanks for the great recipe, Nagi. The mojo sauce smells amazing and is pretty to look at too.
Keeping my fingers crossed you think it tastes as good as it smells!! The marinade really is incredible ๐
Fantastico. I could have used more cheese and without a press, I ended up using a heavy skillet with 4 cans of diced tomatoes as extra weigh, but they came out pretty great and my friends (who are huge fans of Chef ) are duly impressed.
The mojo pork marinade which i applied 16 hours in advance made the day. That was absolutely the most crispy/juicy/succulent pork roast Iโve ever had. It took all my willpower to not just eat it immediately and patiently wait for my dinner guests to arrive to make the Cubano sandwiches.
Thanks a bazillion for sharing these recipes.
YAY! I am SO SO glad you enjoyed it!! Ugh, I love Cubanos so much. I could eat them 24/7. In fact, when I was testing this recipe, I almost did for a whole week!! ๐ Thanks so much for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! PS They freeze great too. Because they are so condensed ๐ Just freeze them after browning, then you can reheat in the oven just until the cheese remelts!
Finding cuban bread is impossible in my part of Canada. I read on other sites that any other bread would not work. Can you advise? What type of bread did you use? I have never seen loaves that are that flat on top and wide.
Great recipes and pics. Many thanks
I found this recipe makes a great bun to make the sandwiches. http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2012/07/02/super-soft-n-chewy-hoagie-rolls/
I have trued a few different recipes for cuban pork and this pork recipe was the best one that I have tried yet. It made fantastic cubanos. Thx.
PS And Iโm so glad you enjoyed these cubanos! Isnโt the pork flavour incredible? The marinade!! Itโs just incredible. Absolutely flavour packed!
OMG! I, too, never thought to make Cuban Sandwiches before until I saw this movie. It has quickly grown to be one of my all time favorite movies.
I was ecstatic when I found the actual recipe posted for it too. I love your photos. Thanks to you my stomach is growling as I need this in my belly!
Awesome job!
Isnโt it the BEST!!! Iโve watched it numerous times!!!
Oooh, thanks for that link David!
Hi Sammy! Thatโs not true that other bread wonโt work! Itโs just not 100% authentic โ but it is not THAT different. It is like using real Italian tinned tomatoes for an authentic Italian pasta dish rather than locally grown ones. Does that make sense? I used a standard baguette to make these. They flatten by squishing them down when you cook them on the stove, just by weighing them down with something heavy (I used a skillet). But restaurants use a proper sandwich press โ i just donโt have done of those! Hope you find this helpful! ๐
As I posted in another email, I find this to be incorrect. Itโs not about being authentic, itโs just not the same. Your tomato example doesnโt work in this situation. If Cuban bread was a fried egg and a French baguette was a scrambled eggโฆ they would both be an egg but not only donโt taste the same, look the same but donโt eat the same.
As an avid baker, I can tell you that the crust on a baguette is baked to be chewy and the center to be more dense. It is polar opposite of Cuban bread. Cuban bread has this extreme thin crust that if you applied any pressure, it crackles. The inside is softer then sandwich breadโฆ light as a feather.
A Cuban sandwich is made to be pressed. The inside bread is not bready, and the outside texture is crisp. Truth be told, to have a Cuban, you need Cuban bread. Sure, you can use something else in a pinch, but itโs not about being โauthetnicโ, it is a texture / chew experience.
As Iโve said in my other post, making Cuban bread is just as simple as making any other bread. The key to Cuban bread is the lard. It is a must use ingredient! I highly suggest you making your own Cuban bread and then tell me that itโs the same. Itโs just not. The bread is what makes the sandwich! It makes THAT much of a difference.
I can tell you from your photos that you arenโt even achieving a close replica because your bread is thick and your sandwich isnโt flattened enough. With Cuban bread, the flattening is what makes the crisp texture.
Iโll make Cubans today and take a couple photos for you and email them. Youโll see that you are remised by comparing the bread to just coming from a different region. A cuban doesnโt even look like the same sandwich.
In a total pinch, you could use any bread. However, I would scoop out all that dense bread from the loaf and then squish it.
Youโve got me!! Youโve absolutely convinced me, I am off to hunt down a recipe right now to make my own Cuban bread and then I will even update the recipe!
YES I love Cubanos THAT MUCH!!! ๐
Thank you so much yes it makes perfect sense
Forgot to add Five stars of yummy!
Iโve never had a cuban sandwich but had to try because of your delicious photography. I made the cuban mojo pork roast one night with your coconut rice. It was very yummy. I added some cilantro to the rice after cooking. I made the sandwiches two days in a row because they were really good. My husband wonโt stop talking about them and is having withdrawals. LOL Thanks for the great recipes!
Wow Molly, WOW!! I am so SO glad you tried the pork and these sandwiches!! Arenโt they incredible?? I know itโs more effort than the usual ham and cheese sandwich but it is so worth the effort!! THANK YOU so much for coming back to share your feedback, Iโm so happy!! ๐
I LOVED Chef. . and I didnโt know that the food for the movie was created by Roy Choi!! Thatโs my Korean soul brother!!! ๐ dude, love this cubanos . . I have to make this!!
YES YOU DO!! Roy Choi is a legend ๐
Iโve been reading your blog recently and really enjoying. This really hit homefor me. I grew up in Tampa and have lived in Miami, so the mojo pork and Cuban sandwiches are home for me! I have a recipe for Cuban bread that Iโve been afraid to try, but this is giving me the courage. You absolutely have the recipe perfect! There is a big competition between Tampa and Miami ober whose Cuban sandwich is the bestโฆI vote for Tampa
Tampa has good Cuban too? Ooohโฆ..I am so jealous. There is only one place here in Sydney with cuban food. Can you believe that? We are so behind the times for some cuisines ๐ I donโt know much about Tampa! Iโm off to check out Google Maps โ I donโt even know where it is!
Oh yes, Tampa is full of Cuban food and more. It is in Central Florida and home to the famous Columbia Restaurant in the historic Ybor City. You would feel like you were in Cuba there, but better possibly. The next time hou make your mojo pork, you should try some garlicy cassava/yucca, platanos, black beans and rice. You can be your own Cuban restaurant
VERY jealous! Cassava and platanos are hard to come by in Sydney, I need to trek 40km to speciality stores. I wish Cuban was more popular in Sydney!! ๐
lol i totally had to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich as soon as I finished watching this movie!
did you say mojo marinated pork? oh my heavens, i must try this! beautiful and love the flavor!
Yes yes yes! You will LOVE it Lindsay! My friends went WILD over this! ๐
This post is a treasure! I canโt believe how amazing this sandwich looks, and also you show us how to prepare the mojo marinated recipe? Oh my, Nag! ๐
Thanks so much Lily!! ๐ It TASTES better than it looks!!
I donโt know whatโs more beautifulโฆ this recipe or the photos. Another divine recipe Nagi. PS. I didnโt know that the Chef movie was created by Roy Choi โ how cool!
Hey Lucy!! Actually, he didnโt create the movie but he created all the RECIPES for it!!
Nagi this sandwich looks sooooo goood! I havenโt watched the movie Chef, but now that I see this sandwich recipe, I want to watch that too!
You must must must watch the movie Sarah! You will love it!!
Love sandwiches and looking at this one, I know what Iโll be making it soon! The pictures look amazing!
Thanks so much Mira!! ๐
Oh, my! That is one heck of sandwich that I would like my teeth sunk into. Looks soooo good!
Thanks Holly!! ๐
OMG, I canโt believe I didnโt find you until NOW! How talented are you?! Nagi, these sandwiches look amazing. Hubby and I both loved the Chef movie and we drooled through the entire 2 hours of it ๐ I made a Cuban Braised Pork with Mojo after watching the movie. Now I truly absolutely definitely have to make these Cubanos of yours ๐ P.S. Roy Choi IS a rock star!
The braised pork would have been FAB for this!! Loving your enthusiasm for this, glad I wasnโt the only one drooling through that movie!! ๐
Iโve never had (or even heard of) a Cuban sandwich but this looks so good! Itโs hard for me to resist any pressed sandwich with melted cheeseโฆ. Definitely giving this a try ๐
Itโs the best sandwich in the world!! OK, one of the best. On par with Katzโs deli in New York and BBQ brisket sliders from Texas!! ๐
Gosh, does it look good, Nagi. Iโll stop coming here at mid-night, makes me want to eat second dinner. Haha
Thanks Shinee! What are you doing up so late? Go to bed! Sweet dreams ๐