My Smoked Cuban Sandwich Recipe is by far one of my favorite things to make!
This sandwich is for the ultimate pork lover! This thing is loaded to the max with melty cheese, tangy pickles, deli ham, salami and smoked pulled pork.
Be sure to give this Smoked Cuban Sandwich Recipe a try the next time you have some leftover smoked pulled pork. This is the ultimate sandwich that the whole family will love!
Ingredients you will need for the Smoked Cuban Sandwich Recipe
Meat: Pork roast/ pork butt/ pork shoulder, ham and genoa salami
Cheese: Swiss cheese
Pickles: Thinly sliced dill pickles
Loaf of bread: Cuban bread, Italian bread, french bread or a sour dough loaf
Condiments: Spicy yellow mustard
How to make a Cuban Sandwich
Preparing the pulled pork for the Cuban sandwich
Preheat the smoker to 250° F using cherry wood for a sweet smoky flavor profile.
Trim all of the excess fat cap off of the pork butt with a sharp knife, then lightly score the meat with a cross hatch pattern.
I always take the fat cap off of the pork butt because it does not render well and then you’re stuck with chunks of fat in the meat. This also allows the seasoning to come in contact with the meat which will give it a lot more flavor.
Coat the pork butt in yellow mustard. No, you will not taste it – this serves as a binder that will help the seasoning stick to the meat.
Generously season all sides of the pork butt with SPG (salt, black pepper, garlic powder) and a light layer of BBQ rub. Remember, this is a large 8-10 pound cut of meat, make sure you add more than you think. Once you shred the pork, only the outside pieces will have that seasoning on them.
I’m looking for this large cut of meat to easily shred apart, which means I need to cook it slowly and monitor the internal meat temperature.
I always insert my MEATER Plus into the deepest part of the pork butt. This will help monitor the internal temperature of the pork throughout the cook and it will give me an estimated cook time.
Smoking the pulled pork for the Cuban sandwich
Place the pork butt on the smoker at 250°F for 6 hours and spritz it every hour using a 50/50 blend of apple juice and apple cider vinegar.
Remove the pork butt from the smoker once it reaches an internal temperature between 165° F – 175° F. Place it in a disposable aluminum foil pan then cover the top with aluminum foil. Place it back on the smoker for 2-3 more hours.
Remove from the smoker when the pork reaches an internal temperature between 200°-205° F and its probe tender. Place it in a cooler and rest it for 1-2 hours to allow the juices to redistribute into the meat.
Assembling the Smoked Cuban Sandwich
Begin to assemble the smoked Cuban sandwich by spreading some spicy yellow mustard on the inside the slices of bread. You can really use any mustard you want, I just like to add a little kick with the spicy yellow mustard.
Next, layer with 2 slices of Swiss cheese. This will give the sandwich a sweet, mild and nutty flavor to the sandwich. You can also use gruyere or pepper jack cheese as an alternative option. Both are not traditional, but still enhance the sandwich.
On the next layer, add 3-4 slices of deli ham. sweet ham, Black Forest ham or smoked ham all go great on this sandwich. Pick whichever is your favorite, just make sure you try to get thin-sliced ham.
Add 2 more slices of Swiss cheese then add some of your favorite salami.
Salami is not traditional on a Cubano, but there is a Tampa version known as the “Tampa Bay Cuban Sandwich” that includes it. Do what you want with this part, but it does add another layer of deliciousness to the sandwich
Now it’s time add a layer of the secret weapon, the smoked shredded pork. If you do not have a smoker, you can easily cook this in your oven, instant pot pressure cooker or in a slow cooker/crock pot.
Another great option to save time is to go to Costco and grab some pork that has already been smoked.
Finish building this master of a sandwich with some thinly sliced dill pickles and 2 more slices of Swiss cheese.
Spread some Mayonnaise or butter on the outside of the bottom piece of the bread. This will help the bread get toasted golden brown and give it a nice crispy bite.
Add the mayo or butter to the top piece of bread right before you flip the sandwich otherwise the panini press will stick to the bread.
Cooking the Smoked Cuban Sandwich
Preheat the griddle so you’re cooking the sandwich with a medium heat.
Place the sandwich down on the hot griddle then add a panini press, heavy skillet (cast iron pan) or a foil-wrapped brick on top. Cook the sandwich for 4 mins each side until the outside is crispy and the cheese is all melted
Slice the smoked cuban sandwich in half then serve it up with some potato chips or french fries and enjoy every last bite!
Looking for other delicious sandwiches?
Be sure to check out some of my other favorite sandwiches below!
Smoked Beef Rib Sandwich: Smoked beef ribs lathered in BBQ sauce served on a bun with pickles and onions. This thing is a major upgrade to the fast food version!
Fried Chicken Ice Cream Sandwich: This one has been slightly controversial on social media, but you can’t knock it until you try it! Spicy, crispy chicken topped with sweet ice cream and hot honey drizzled on top. Yeah, this one’s really good…
Apple Cider Pulled Pork Sandwich: The perfect fall recipe twist on one of the most popular BBQ sandwiches of all time. Smoked pulled pork topped with sweet apples.
Smoked Meatball Sub: This sandwich brings the Italian sub to the next level! Meatballs that were smoked then lathered in a red sauce with gooey cheese. Grab a napkin and dive right into this one!
Mushroom Swiss Steak Sandwich: Perfectly grilled steak topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. This is one of my favorite steak sandwiches.
Birria Grilled Cheese: Beef that’s first smoked then braised in the perfect birria sauce. All held together by some gooey Oaxaca Cheese inside a toasted brioche bread. Dip it in the consume and enjoy one of the best sandwiches you’ve ever had!
Print
Smoked Cuban Sandwich Recipe
This smoked cuban sandwich recipe is one of the best ways to use leftover pulled pork! Swiss cheese, pickles, ham, salami and smoked pulled pork all inside toasted bread.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 large sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of pulled pork
- 4 slices of Swiss cheese
- 8 slices of ham
- 8 slices of salami
- 4 pickles
- 2 tbsp of spicy yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp mayo
- Cuban bread or Sour dough loaf
Instructions
- Season a pork butt with SPG, then smoke it at 250°F for 8-10 hours.
- Once it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F, remove it from the smoker then let it rest for 2 hours in a cooler.
- Shred the pork then let the meat rest in the pan with all of the juices.
- Spread some spicy yellow mustard on the inside bread.
- Assemble the sandwich by layer it with: 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 4 slices of ham, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, pulled pork, pickle, 2 slices of Swiss cheese.
- Add Mayo or butter on outside of the bread to help crispy up the bread.
- Place sandwich on a hot griddle then add a panini press or in a clean cast iron skillet and place on top.
- Cook 4 mins each side until the outside is crispy and the cheese is all melted.
- Slice and enjoy
Notes
Use mayo or butter to perfectly toast the outside of the bread.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Sandwich
- Cuisine: Cuban
