Cuban Sandwiches and Cuban Sliders made with Naturally Fresh Recipe
On our recent trip to Washington, D.C., I was surprised to see that many restaurants we visited served Cuban sandwiches. I had only recently discovered these myself last year after a visit to the Columbia Restaurant in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida.
Since then, I’ve become a Cuban sandwich connoisseur. Some believe it’s all about the bread, like they do at the Columbia Restaurant, though I enjoy a lovely gluten free version at a local sandwich shop. Even my favorite foodie movie from last year, Chef, featured a Mojo Pork Cubano version of the Cuban sandwich.
Go Cuban for the Big Game!
With the Big Game coming up, I thought Cuban Sandwiches and Cuban Party Sliders would be really fun party food to serve, either as a DIY food bar or premade and kept warm. So how to make these fun grilled sandwiches and pulled pork sandwiches at home on Game Day?
First, pulled pork is easily made in a slow cooker. One of my favorite ways to season shredded pork is by using marinades, which are very similar to salad dressings. So why not make it even easier and use a dressing like Naturally Fresh®? Naturally Fresh® is a line of high-quality, homemade-tasting salad dressings and dips with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. They’re really delicious and come in regular and lite versions. I like them because they don’t have:
Artificial thickeners
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
I used Lite Ranch in my recipe. It’s made with nonfat buttermilk, and has half the calories of the original. Feel free to use their Classic Ranch instead if you wish.
Naturally Fresh® products can be found at Kroger and Publix in the refrigerated section. Also, check out the Naturally Fresh® free mobile app. It’ll help you find where Naturally Fresh® products are sold near you as well as introduce you to new recipes while you’re shopping!
Preparing your Cuban Sandwiches and Cuban Sliders
Traditionally, Cuban sandwiches are served on Cuban bread, which is very similar to French or Italian style bread. If you’re gluten free, go ahead and use that, which is what I did. Even the non-gluten free members of my family didn’t mind the GF bread, because the insides were so tasty!
Some people use mayonnaise on their Cubans. Not necessary in my opinion! As far as the mustard goes, generic store brand yellow mustard is just fine. No reason to spend your money on anything fancy.
I used a George Foreman countertop grill to toast up my Cubans panini style! If you’re doing a DIY, serve yourself Cuban Sandwich bar, using a “George” or an electric Panini grill is the only way to go. Who wants to be slaving over a hot stove and miss the half time show?
Also, If you’re making both gluten free and regular bread Cuban Sandwiches, you may want to use two countertop grills to avoid cross-contamination. Or make sure to wipe down the grill carefully before putting on a gluten free Cubano. Don’t want to give our GF guests a tummy ache!
Another party appetizer option is to make Cuban Sliders. You won’t be grilling these up. Instead, you can make up a batch or two before guests arrive or during a lull in the Big Game action. Just keep the pulled pork warm in your Crockpot, make up a dozen or two sliders, and then keep them warm in the oven. Or have people make their own by keeping all the ingredients out on a table.
Cuban Sandwiches and Cuban Sliders
Ingredients
- For the pulled pork:
- 4 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 3 pieces
- 1 (12 ounce) jar Naturally Fresh® Lite Ranch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ancho chile pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- For making the Cuban Sandwiches:
- 2 loaves bread of your choice (Cuban, French, Italian and/or gluten free)
- 1 small jar yellow mustard
- 1 to 2 large jars whole dill pickles, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds thinly sliced Swiss or baby Swiss cheese
- 2 pounds thinly sliced deli ham
- Olive oil cooking spray
- For making the Cuban Sliders:
- 2-3 packages slider buns (regular and/or whole wheat)
- 1 small jar yellow mustard
- 2 large jars whole dill pickles, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds thinly sliced Swiss or baby Swiss cheese, cut into small squares the size of the slider buns
- 2 pounds thinly sliced deli ham, cut into small squares the size of the slider buns
Directions
For the pulled pork:
Place the pork loin in a large slow cooker.
In a bowl, combine the ranch dressing, lemon and lime juices, honey or agave, spices, and salt. Pour the dressing mixture over the pork.
Cook the pork on Low for 8 to 10 hours or High for 4 to 6 hours. Pork is done when it’s tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
Pour out all of the liquid from the crock. Otherwise, you’ll have shredded pork soup!
Shred the pork and keep warm.
To make the Cuban Sandwiches:
Spread a small amount of yellow mustard on both slices of bread.
Make the sandwich by layering three pickles, a slice of cheese, a slice of deli ham, and then a generous portion of the shredded pork between the two pieces of bread.
Lightly coat the surface of your heated panini grill with the olive oil cooking spray. Place the Cuban Sandwich onto the hot surface and press the lid down firmly but gently.
Grill for one or two minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
Slice each sandwich in half diagonally and serve.
To make the Cuban Sliders:
Make the slider by layering two pickles, a cheese square, a deli ham square, a small mound of shredded pork, and two more pickles between the slider bun.
Keep sliders warm in the oven until it’s time to serve.
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Hours
Total Time: 10 Hours 30 Minutes
Servings: Feeds around 2 dozen people
Serving size: 1 sandwich or 2 sliders