Cuban Press Recipes

CUBAN SANDWICHES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat a panini press or a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lay bread, open side up, on a work surface and spread the bottom and top halves with mustard. Layer bottom and top halves with Swiss cheese. Working only on bottom halves, layer on all of the pickles, ham, roast pork, and salami (if using). Close sandwiches, pressing gently.
• Butter top and bottom of panini press and press sandwiches with moderate pressure until crisp on both sides, about 8 minutes. If using a cast iron skillet or griddle, melt half of butter in pan and add sandwiches. Use a second pan to press on them as the first side crisps. When crisp, flip sandwiches, add remaining butter, swirl to coat, and continue cooking while pressing until crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Slice sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.

PRESSED CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a stovetop grill or sandwich press.
• Slice the sub rolls end to end. Spread the butter evenly on both rolls. Repeat the process with mustard. Lay the ham, cheese, and pickle slices evenly in the roll. Put the sandwiches in a press or on the grill and cook for about 6 minutes, or until warm through or toasted on the outside.

PRESSED CUBAN-STYLE BURGER

Steps:

• Form the meat into 4 (1/4-inch thick) burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and cook in a saute pan over high heat to medium doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard.
• Place a slice of cheese on the bottom portion of each bun, place the burger on top of the cheese, then top the burger with a slice of ham then another slice of cheese then the pickle slices. Place the tops of the bun over the pickles and cook on a sandwich press or wrap the burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat with a heavy skillet placed on top of the burger to press the sandwich. Cook until golden brown and cheese has melted.

CUBAN PRESS

Steps:

• Preheat sandwich press (see note below if you do not have a sandwich press).
• Cut bread loaf into 6-inch long pieces. Spread cut sides of bread with butter if desired, or mustard, or both.
• On the bottom slices of bread, layer sandwiches with generous portions of pickles, pork, ham, and cheese, in that order.
• Place top bread slices on sandwiches, and coat both top and bottom bread slices (outer surfaces) with vegetable cooking spray.
• Grill the sandwich for 4 to 5 minutes (2 to 3 minutes per side if using skillet and an iron pan for weight), or until bread is golden brown, cheese is melted, and sandwich is flattened.
• Cut each sandwich on the diagonal and serve with plantain chips.
• NOTE: Home cooks often have to improvise as many don't own sandwich presses. A waffle iron, panini grill, George Foreman grill, or bacon press will work. People have been known to cook the sandwich in a skillet and press it with a heated cast-iron frying pan or even a heated brick wrapped in aluminum foil.