Cuban Panini

Name: Cuban Panini
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 loaf (about 18 inches) (450 g) Cuban bread, cut into 4 equal sections about 4½ inches (11 cm) long, each split horizontally; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 4 tbsp (60 g) yellow mustard; 12 oz (340 g) cooked roast pork, thinly sliced or shredded, straight from the refrigerator (chilled); 8 oz (227 g) sliced deli ham, thinly sliced, chilled; 8 slices (about 6 oz) (170 g) Swiss cheese, sliced, chilled; 24 chips (100 g) dill pickle chips, patted dry on paper towels

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A pressed Cuban sandwich with tender roast pork, sweet ham, melty Swiss, tangy pickles and yellow mustard on butter-crisped Cuban bread. Made in a skillet or panini press, and every sandwich is checked to 165°F (74°C) in the center so it is steaming hot and safe.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 17 min
Wait: 1 min
Total: 38 min
Makes: 4 sandwiches

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Steps

Before you start

Use fully cooked sliced or shredded roast pork (leftover mojo pork or deli roast pork). Keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below until you assemble the sandwiches, and use leftover home-cooked pork within 4 days of cooking.
Take the butter out about 30 minutes ahead so it spreads without tearing the bread. Leave the pork, ham and cheese in the fridge until you start layering.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) now. You will use it to finish and hold the sandwiches until each one reads 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Have an instant-read thermometer ready. Pregnant people, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should eat deli meats only when steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).
No panini press? Use a heavy skillet plus a second heavy pan or a foil-wrapped brick to press. If you can't find Cuban bread, use a soft Italian or French loaf.

1
Prep the bread
- Cut the loaf into 4 sections, each about 4½ inches (11 cm) long.
- Slice each section in half horizontally with a serrated knife to make a top and bottom.
- Spread the outside (crust side) of every top and bottom with butter, using about 1½ tsp per piece.
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Ready when: Every outer surface is evenly coated with a thin layer of butter.
Tip: Soft butter spreads without tearing the airy crumb; cold butter will rip it.
2
Add the mustard
- Place the bread cut-side up.
- Spread ½ tbsp yellow mustard over the cut side of each of the 8 halves, using the full 4 tbsp in total.
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Ready when: Cut sides are covered with a thin, even film of mustard.
3
Layer the fillings
- Take the pork, ham and cheese from the fridge now.
- On each bottom half, layer 1 slice Swiss, 3 oz (85 g) chilled roast pork, 2 oz (57 g) ham folded loosely, 6 pickle chips in a single overlapping layer, then a second slice of Swiss.
- Close with the top half, mustard side down.
- Keep the sandwiches in the fridge if you won't cook them within 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Each sandwich is evenly stacked and closes without fillings spilling out.
Tip: Cheese above and below the meat acts as glue and melts into the filling.
4
Heat the pressOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat a panini press, or a 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Confirm the oven is at 350°F (175°C).
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Ready when: A drop of water sizzles and evaporates within a couple of seconds.
Tip: Medium heat is key: higher heat browns the bread before the cheese melts and the center heats.
5
Press first batch
- Place 2 sandwiches in the press and close it gently, then press down to compress them to about half their height.
- For a skillet, set the sandwiches in the pan, top with a heavy pan or foil-wrapped brick, and press firmly.
- Cook 5 to 6 minutes (the chilled fillings need a little longer), flipping once halfway through if using a skillet.
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Ready when: Bread is deep golden with an evenly browned crust and cheese is visibly melting at the edges.
Tip: Press gently at first so fillings don't squeeze out, then firmly once the cheese softens.
6
Check first batchOven 350°F / 175°C
- Slide an instant-read thermometer through the side of each sandwich into the center of the filling.
- It must read 165°F (74°C).
- If it reads lower, or the crust is already dark, place the sandwiches on a baking sheet in the 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Leave them there while you press the second batch.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads at least 165°F (74°C) in the center of the filling, and the filling is steaming hot.
Tip: A sandwich can look finished on the outside while the center is still lukewarm, so always check the middle.
7
Press second batchOven 350°F / 175°C
- Press the remaining 2 sandwiches the same way, 5 to 6 minutes, while the first batch waits on the baking sheet in the oven.
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Ready when: Crust is crisp and golden, and the cheese is melting at the edges.
Tip: If the first batch's crust is getting too dark in the oven, lower the oven to 300°F (150°C).
8
Check second batchOven 350°F / 175°C
- Check the center of each second-batch sandwich with the thermometer.
- If it reads below 165°F (74°C), bake on the baking sheet in the 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes, then check again.
- Re-check any first-batch sandwich that has sat in the oven and confirm it is still at least 165°F (74°C).
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Ready when: Every sandwich reads 165°F (74°C) or higher in the center.
Tip: Don't serve any sandwich that hasn't reached 165°F, especially to pregnant, older or immunocompromised guests.
9
Rest and slice
- Let the sandwiches rest for 1 minute so the cheese sets slightly.
- Slice each diagonally in half with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.
- Serve hot.
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Ready when: Knife cuts cleanly through crisp crust and the cheese stays inside.
Tip: Use a serrated knife; a smooth blade squashes the crust.

Good to know

Tips

Pat pickles dry so they don't make the bread soggy.
Keep the heat at medium so the center heats through before the crust darkens.
Always check the center with a thermometer; golden bread doesn't prove the filling is hot.
For extra flavor, marinate plain pork in garlic, orange juice and lime juice in the fridge before cooking it, never at room temperature.

Make ahead

"Assemble the sandwiches with chilled ingredients up to 4 hours ahead, wrap tightly and keep refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Press straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes per batch, then check that the center reads 165°F (74°C) and finish in the 350°F (175°C) oven if needed. Don't leave assembled sandwiches at room temperature more than 30 minutes before cooking."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Freeze wrapped sandwiches up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat to 165°F (74°C). Don't keep sandwiches at room temperature more than 2 hours."

Substitutions

Cuban bread → soft Italian or French loaf, or ciabatta rolls. Choose a soft-crumbed bread; very crusty loaves are hard to press.
Swiss cheese → Gruyère or Emmental. Melts the same way with slightly more flavor.
unsalted butter → mayonnaise. Spread thinly on the outside for a very crisp crust; the flavor is slightly tangier.
cooked roast pork → sliced pork tenderloin or pulled pork. Season lightly with garlic and citrus if plain; keep it chilled until assembly.