Intolerances: Fructose, Soy, Gluten
A hot and delicious sandwich to add into the mix. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside.
There are so many good sandwiches out there and the variations are endless. One of my all time favorites is a Cuban. I can’t remember the last time I had one out, as they typically don’t have them on gluten free bread and they certainly include spices I can’t have. So why not make them at home? They feel special, but they are so incredibly easy to make. I use my homemade pickles and carnitas; however you can just as easily use store bought. They are a crowd pleaser at our house, even with my husband who refuses a pickle any other time.
What to serve it with:
- Baked French Fries
- Salt & Vinegar Chips
- Pasta Salad
- Smoked Potato Salad
What you need:
- Cast Iron Skillet or Panini Press
- Heavy Object (to weigh down the sandwich)
- Pulled Pork or Carnitas
- Ham
- Swiss Cheese
- Homemade Quick Pickles (Fructose Free)
- Dijon Mustard
- Mustard Aioli
- Butter
The Sandwich
The Cuban Sandwich starts out pretty easy, in fact it is incredibly easy, especially if you have the ingredients ready to go in your fridge.
I use Canyon House Sub Rolls as my gluten fee, fructose free bread; however if you are not gluten free, I would recommend using Ciabatta or a French Roll. Slather on a tablespoon of mustard aioli on the top roll and dijon mustard on the bottom. Next, it is time to start building the sandwich. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the top and bottom, next add your slice of ham (I like thick cut Black Forest Ham from Costco), and then the pickles. I use my homemade pickle recipe to ensure that they are gluten and fructose free, but again, you can use your favorite pickles from the store.
The final layer of the sandwich is the pork. I like to make carnitas or pulled pork regularly, as it is great to have on hand to be used in multiple applications. This sandwich is one of them. Now, let me first say that you don’t have to make the pulled pork. For fructose friendly store bought pulled pork, I recommend Curly’s Sauceless Pulled Pork or Kirkland’s Pulled Pork from Costco. Simply add half a cup of the pulled pork to the sandwich as the final layer. The pork doesn’t have to be hot, but I do like to make sure that it isn’t straight out of the fridge -at least room temperature.
Now that your sandwiches are built, add the butter to the skillet and turn it to medium heat. While the butter is melting, make sure to get your heavy object to place on top of the sandwiches. I like to use a cast iron skillet that is one size smaller then the one I am using for the sandwiches. I cover the bottom in foil to ensure that I don’t get anything on the sandwiches and then I add as many heavy items as I can (ex. soup cans, bag of beans or rice, etc). You just want to make sure that it is heavy enough to press the sandwich, just like panini press would. Once the butter has melted it is time to add your sandwiches. Add the sandwiches and then the weight. Griddle for about 3-5 minutes, flipping when it is golden brown on the bottom. Press it again for another 3-5 minutes on the other side and remove from the skillet.
There you have it, sandwich complete. Cut the Cuban in half and dig in. Make sure you have a couple napkins nearby, because it can get a bit messy. See below…my gluten/fructose free version is on the left and my husbands gluten filled version is on the right. Both are equally delicious!
Cuban Sandwich
Intolerances: Fructose, Gluten, Soy
Serves: 2
Prep: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 min.
2 Rolls – (Canyon House Sub Roll – fructose free or Ciabatta/French)
1 cup Pulled Pork or Carnitas
2 Slices Thick Cut Ham
8 Pickle Slices
4 Swiss Cheese Slices
2 Tbsp Mustard Aioli
2 Tbsp Sir Kensington’s Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Butter
- Split the roll in half and build the each sandwich. First spread the bottom roll with 1 Tbsp of dijon mustard. Add 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1 slice ham, 4 pickles and then the half of the pulled pork. Spread 1 Tbsp of mustard aioli on the top half of the roll, add the additional slice of cheese and place on top of the pulled pork.
- Add the butter to your cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwich (or both, pending the size of your skillet). In order to get that crispy “press” of the sandwich, you need to add something heave to the top of the sandwich. I like to cover a smaller skillet with foil, then place a few cans of soup in the pan to give it weight.
- Once the sandwich begins to crisp and get golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Next, remove the skillet and flip the sandwich. Place the heavy skillet on top for another 3-5 minutes and remove the sandwich from the heat. It’s time to eat!
Side Note: If you are not gluten free or fructose free, I recommend using Ciabatta or a French Roll
Side Note: You can use a panini press if you have one, otherwise really improvise to get that weight on top – even a brick wrapped in tinfoil will work.