Cuban-American · Lunch & handhelds

Tampa-style Cuban sandwich

Name: Tampa-style Cuban sandwich
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 12 h
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Cuisine: Cuban-American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder; 1/3 cup fresh orange juice; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 5 garlic cloves, finely grated; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 4 pieces Cuban bread, 8 inches each; 1/4 cup yellow mustard; 8 ounces thinly sliced glazed ham; 4 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami; 8 slices Swiss cheese; 12 lengthwise dill pickle slices, drained and blotted dry; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Crisp pressed Cuban bread layered with citrus-garlic roast pork, ham, Genoa salami, Swiss, mustard, and dill pickles.

About 12 hrTotal

About 3 hr 40 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 4 sandwiches

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 sandwiches

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 pieces Cuban bread, 8 inches each
1/4 cup yellow mustard
8 ounces thinly sliced glazed ham
4 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
8 slices Swiss cheese
12 lengthwise dill pickle slices, drained and blotted dry
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

Whisk orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Coat pork, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight; turn once.
Set pork and marinade in a . Roast at 300°F until fork-tender and 195°F to 205°F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Uncover for the final 20 minutes. Rest 20 minutes, then slice across the grain and moisten with 2 tablespoons defatted pan juices.
Split Cuban bread lengthwise. Spread mustard over both cut faces, then layer ham, warm roast pork, salami, Swiss, and three blotted pickle slices in each loaf. Close and butter both outer faces.
Heat a plancha, sandwich press, or heavy skillet over medium-low. Press sandwiches firmly and cook until the bread is thin, crisp, and golden and the cheese is fully melted, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Cut each sandwich sharply on the diagonal and serve hot.

Tampa, FloridaTampa Cuban-American sandwich cooking

From the table

About this recipe

The Tampa lineage of the Cuban sandwich reflects Cuban and Italian immigrant histories by adding Genoa salami to roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, mustard, and Cuban bread; Miami versions commonly omit salami.

This is the Tampa lineage, which includes Genoa salami alongside Cuban roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard. Miami versions commonly omit salami; the recipe names its choice rather than presenting one city’s convention as universal. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Choose the documented Tampa style and author the mojo pork rather than treating a purchased roast as an invisible shortcut.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe