A pressed masterpiece

The Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is a study in how much a few humble ingredients can achieve. Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and thin dill pickles go onto soft Cuban bread, and then the whole thing is pressed flat and crisp. Born in the Cuban immigrant communities of Florida, it is celebrated every August 23.

The classic build

The beauty of a Cubano is its discipline. The traditional filling is exactly five things: roast pork, ham, Swiss, yellow mustard, and dill pickle. That is it. Purists do not add mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomato, and for good reason: those additions add moisture and get in the way of the crisp, savory harmony the sandwich is built on. Yellow mustard is the one and only condiment.

The bread is nearly as important. Authentic Cuban bread is soft with a thin crust that crisps beautifully under heat. If you cannot find it, a soft Italian or French loaf makes a reasonable stand-in.

The all-important press

What truly defines a Cubano is the press. The sandwich is flattened as it cooks, so the bread turns crisp and thin while the cheese melts and binds everything together. A dedicated sandwich or panini press is ideal, but you do not need one. Set the sandwich in a hot pan and weigh it down with a second heavy skillet, or a foil-wrapped brick, and press firmly until both sides are golden and the cheese has melted through.

No press? A heavy pan on top does the same job: flatten it, crisp it, melt it.

Leftovers and local rivalries

A Cubano is one of the great uses for leftover roast pork. Slow-roast a shoulder for dinner one night, and you have the makings of pressed sandwiches for days. It is a strategy worth planning around.

The sandwich also comes with a friendly geographic rivalry. Tampa’s version famously includes Genoa salami, a nod to the Italian immigrants who lived alongside the Cuban and Spanish communities there, while Miami’s leaves it out. Neither city will concede, so the only sensible thing to do is make both and decide for yourself which camp you belong to. However you build it, keep the filling classic, press it hard, and August 23 gives you a sandwich worth the effort.

How to celebrate

  1. 1
    Press it properly

    The Cuban's signature is its flattened, crisp exterior. If you do not have a sandwich press, weigh it down in a hot pan with a heavy skillet or a foil-wrapped brick. Press firmly until both sides are golden and the cheese has melted through.

  2. 2
    Layer the classics

    The traditional build is roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and thin dill pickles on Cuban bread. Keep it to those and resist adding mayo, lettuce, or tomato. Yellow mustard is the one and only condiment.

  3. 3
    Use the right bread

    Authentic Cuban bread is soft with a thin crust that crisps beautifully under the press. If you cannot find it, a soft Italian or French loaf is a reasonable stand-in. Skip anything too dense or crusty.

  4. 4
    Make it from leftovers

    A Cubano is a brilliant way to use leftover roast pork. Slow-roast a pork shoulder one night and press sandwiches the next. It is a strategy worth planning your week around.

  5. 5
    Settle the Tampa debate

    Tampa's version famously adds Genoa salami, a nod to the city's Italian immigrant community, while Miami leaves it out. Try both and pick your camp. Neither city will ever concede, so you may as well decide for yourself.