Cuban-Style Sourdough Sandwich Recipe | Ham & Roast Pork
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Cuban-Style Sourdough Sandwich
Juicy roast pork, savory ham, melted Swiss, tangy pickles, and mustard pressed between crisp golden sourdough. This sandwich did not come here to be subtle.
There are sandwiches you politely eat, and then there are sandwiches that require pressure, melted cheese, and a firm commitment to pickles.
This Cuban-style sourdough sandwich layers tender roast pork with ham, Swiss cheese, sharp mustard, and plenty of dill pickles before the whole thing gets pressed until the bread is crisp and the cheese is gloriously melted.
Using sourdough gives it extra tang, chew, and structure, which is helpful because this sandwich is carrying enough filling to qualify as a small construction project.
🥪 Cuban-Style Sourdough Sandwich
Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard pressed between crispy golden sourdough.
🥒 Ingredients
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
- 6 ounces cooked roast pork, thinly sliced or shredded
- 4 ounces sliced ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 to 10 dill pickle slices
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
🔥 How to Make It
-
Heat the pork.
Warm the roast pork briefly in a skillet over medium-low heat. You want it hot enough to help melt the cheese, not cooked into something resembling pork confetti. -
Build the sandwiches.
Lay out two slices of sourdough. Spread mustard generously over the inside of the bread. -
Layer the fillings.
Add Swiss cheese, warm roast pork, ham, pickles, and another layer of Swiss cheese. Top with the remaining slices of sourdough. -
Butter the outside.
Spread softened butter evenly over the outer surfaces of the bread. This is what gives you that deep golden, crisp pressed exterior. -
Press and cook.
Place the sandwiches in a skillet or panini press over medium-low heat. If using a skillet, place a heavy second pan on top to press them down gently. -
Flip and finish.
Cook for 3–5 minutes per side until the sourdough is golden and crisp and the Swiss cheese is fully melted. -
Rest and slice.
Let the sandwiches rest for about one minute, then slice and serve while the cheese is still hot and stretchy.
🔥 The Press Is Part of the Magic
A Cuban-style sandwich gets much of its character from being pressed.
The pressure brings the fillings together, melts the Swiss cheese into the meat, and gives the sourdough a flatter, crispier exterior.
No panini press? No problem. A heavy skillet set carefully on top of the sandwich works just fine.
🍞 Why Sourdough Works So Well Here
Roast pork, ham, Swiss, mustard, and pickles are bold ingredients. You need bread with enough flavor and structure to keep up.
Sourdough brings a subtle tang that works especially well with sharp mustard and pickles, while its chewy crumb holds onto the juicy pork without getting soft too quickly.
Then pressing it in butter turns the outside into a crisp golden shell. Which is basically where things stop being reasonable.
🏆 Four Ways to Make It Better
🐖 Use Flavorful Roast Pork
Leftover pork shoulder or roast pork works beautifully. Thin slices or small shreds make the sandwich easier to press and eat.
🥒 Don't Be Shy With Pickles
The acidity cuts through the rich pork, ham, and cheese. Pat them dry first so they bring tang without soaking the bread.
🧀 Put Cheese on Both Sides
Swiss placed above and below the meat helps bind the fillings together as the sandwich cooks.
🔥 Keep the Heat Moderate
Medium-low heat gives the cheese time to melt before the sourdough gets too dark.
🤤 Cuban-Style Sandwich Variations
The classic combination is hard to improve, but that has never stopped us from trying.
- Add extra Swiss cheese for a heavier melt
- Use Dijon mustard for a sharper bite
- Add a little garlic butter to the outside of the bread
- Use leftover pulled pork in place of sliced roast pork
- Add thinly sliced jalapeños for heat
- Swap Swiss for Gruyère for a nuttier flavor
🐿️ Squirrelly Girl Warning
Pressing a sandwich filled with pork, ham, Swiss, mustard, and pickles has been known to permanently change your standards for leftovers.
That plain ham sandwich in the fridge is now going to have to try harder.
🥪 Keep Exploring the Squirrelly Girl Sandwich Series
If you like hot, pressed, cheesy sourdough sandwiches, there are several excellent ways to continue making questionable lunch decisions.
Corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and creamy dressing on crispy sourdough. 🧀 Ham & Swiss Honey Mustard Sourdough Sandwich
Savory ham, melted Swiss, sweet-tangy honey mustard, and toasted sourdough. 🐖 Pulled Pork Sourdough Sandwich
Tender BBQ pulled pork, creamy coleslaw, and golden toasted sourdough. 🥪 Explore the Entire Squirrelly Girl Sandwich Series
Browse all our sourdough sandwich recipes and find your next lunch obsession.
🐿️ Want to Make the Sourdough Too?
A pressed sandwich this loaded deserves bread with real flavor and enough structure to hold everything together. Start baking your own with Squirrelly Girl Sourdough Starter.
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