Pressed Cuban Sandwiches

5 from 2 votes

My Pressed Cuban Sandwiches combine pulled pork roast, deli ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and a zesty mustard aioli - all piled high on top of crusty bread of your choice. A great sandwich for hungry peeps!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword classic cuban sandwich, pulled pork

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 15

Total Time 2 15

Servings sandwiches

Calories 743kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For sandwiches:

4 french bread buns - or any crusty bread
1 pound smoked pork butt - see homemade recipe
10 oz deli ham - two slices per sandwich
5 oz swiss cheese - two slices per sandwich
8 large dill pickles - sliced thin
butter - for cooking in skillet
mustard aioli - see below
some barbecue sauce - add some sweet bbq sauce to the finished pork for another flavor punch!

For the Mustard Aioli:

1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 cup mayo with olive oil
2 Tablespoons stone ground mustard
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper - to taste
a squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

For the pulled pork:

Make the dry rub by combining the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder. Mix ingredients and coat liberally over the pork shoulder chunks.
For instant pot: Sear the pork shoulder in some neutral oil (like avocado oil or canola oil) in the instant pot on "SAUTE" function. Brown it on all sides - you may need to do this in batches. Then pour in the chicken broth and juice from the citrus. Clear instant pot and change setting to "PRESSURE COOK". Set it at 45 minutes. When the 45 minutes are up, let it do a natural release for 15 minutes. Then release the pressure carefully, and remove the pork from the IP. Shred the pork when it's cool enough to handle, and then pour a bit of the cooking liquids over top (for storing purchases).
1 pound smoked pork butt, some barbecue sauce
You can also make the pulled pork in the oven, slow cooker, or on the grill.

For the mustard aioli:

Saute the garlic and let cool slightly. Then mix it with the remaining ingredients - the mayo, stone ground mustard, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 cup mayo with olive oil, 2 Tablespoons stone ground mustard, 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice

For the sandwiches:

You can make your own hoagie rolls for these sandwiches, or use store bought bread. See blog post for the details for how to make the bread!
Make the sandwiches. Take a hoagie roll and slice in half. Add a smear of mustard aioli, followed by a couple of slices of deli ham, pulled pork, some dill pickle slices, swiss cheese, and the top half of the hoagie. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
mustard aioli, 4 french bread buns, 10 oz deli ham, 8 large dill pickles, 5 oz swiss cheese
Heat up a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt some butter in the skillet and place the sandwich in the middle of the skillet. Place a smaller skillet on top, and use your hands to press down.
Cook for a few minutes, or until golden brown. Then Flip the sandwich (carefully) and repeat. You may need to add a bit more butter. Repeat.
butter
Serve the sandwiches with some extra mustard aioli and some classic salt and pepper chips!

Notes

If you want to add another flavor punch, add some sweet barbecue sauce to the finished pulled pork!

Nutrition