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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

The Cuban sandwich (Cubano)

40 min, plus mojo pork (3 hr) or leftover roast pork · 4 sandwiches

Mojo-roasted pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and yellow mustard pressed flat and crisp on Cuban bread. Tampa adds Genoa salami; Miami says no.

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The real one

You need

• For the mojo pork: 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) boneless pork shoulder, 6 cloves garlic, crushed, 120 ml (1/2 cup) orange juice, 60 ml (1/4 cup) lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 long loaf Cuban bread (or 4 soft, thin-crusted sub rolls)
• 250 g (9 oz) sweet ham, thinly sliced
• 200 g (7 oz) Swiss cheese, sliced
• Dill pickle slices
• Yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp soft butter
• Tampa style: 100 g (3 1/2 oz) Genoa salami

How to make it

1. Roast the pork (3 hr, can be done a day ahead): Mix the garlic, juices, cumin, oregano, salt and oil, marinate the pork 1 to 8 hours, then roast covered at 160 C (325 F) until tender, about 2 1/2 hours, and uncovered 20 minutes more to brown. Cool and slice thin.
2. Cut the bread (2 min): Cut the loaf into 4 pieces about 20 cm (8 in) and split each lengthwise.
3. Layer (8 min): Spread mustard on both cut sides. Layer Swiss, ham, roast pork (and salami for Tampa), pickles and more Swiss. Close.
4. Press (8 min): Butter the outside of the bread. Cook in a skillet over medium heat with a heavy pan (or foil-wrapped brick) pressing down, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until flat, crisp and golden and the cheese has melted. A panini press works well.
5. Cut and serve: Cut diagonally and serve with a cafecito or a mamey batido.

Tips

• Cuban bread is light with a thin crust; a dense baguette will be too chewy.
• Leftover pork shoulder from any roast works fine.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.