I’m no stranger to big sandwiches.
If you’ve seen my Instagram account, you’ll know I sometimes get carried away and a single sandwich can often feed a family of four. This is one of them; in fact this may be my favorite sandwich to date. The pork is tender, amazingly juicy, and super flavorful from the very simple rub we’ll use. The sandwich spread is bold with a slight hint of heat, and that crunch from the pickle just can’t be beat.
This is also a great sandwich to make for a party, just slice it into 1-inch squares and skewer it to serve as a finger food.
Ultimate Grilled Cuban Sandwich
Serves: 6-8 | Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 25 mins.
Ingredients
2 1-1.5 lb. pork tenderloins
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
5 slices Swiss cheese (per sandwich)
5 thin slices deli ham (per sandwich)
3 thin slices dill pickle (per sandwich)
Fresh baked rolls of your choice
2 tbsp oregano olive oil
Rub Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
3 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Equipment:
grill (either gas or charcoal will work)
meat thermometer
basting brush
instant read thermometer
Step-by-Step
Step 1:Â Light your grill and set up for direct medium-high heat.
Step 2:Â In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all the rub ingredients and whisk together. This is a great Cuban-inspired seasoning that works well on both pork and chicken. Store leftover rub in a mason jar and save some for later.
Step 3: Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 cup yellow mustard with 2 tablespoons of the Cuban rub. Mix ingredients thoroughly and place in refrigerator. I do this first so the seasoning has time to infuse into the mixture. Feel free to make as much of this as you like, and save some for later. It goes well on all kinds of sandwiches—I even put it on scrambled eggs.
Step 4:Â While the grill preheats and the spread melds together, rinse off pork tenderloins with cold water. Trim off any visible silver skin and pat dry.
TIP: Silverskin will not render down and is inedible. For the best flavor I recommend trimming it off and discarding it.
Step 5:Â Rub pork with a very thin coat of oil and season the entire surface with a light dusting of the rub.
Step 6: Place pork over direct medium heat on the grill, cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Be sure to turn the meat every 1.5 to 2 minutes or you risk over cooking it. This is a pretty lean cut of meat so it’s not very forgiving in terms of overcooking.
Step 7: Remove pork when internal temperature reaches 140°F as indicated by your quick read thermometer. Close the grill lid, but don’t turn it off.
Step 8:Â Using a basting brush, baste the pork with a light coat of oregano olive oil and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 9:Â Slice pork thinly.
Step 10:Â Apply a generous portion of the mayonnaise and seasoning mixture to the top bun and bottom of each sandwich roll and set aside.
Step 11:Â Assemble your sandwiches by layering slices of pork, ham, and cheese onto the bottom bun. Leaving the top off the sandwiches, place them in grill over indirect heat for about 4 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Step 12:Â Remove from grill, top with pickle slices, and add your top bun. Slice and serve.
Make this Ultimate Grilled Cuban Sandwich recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 1-1.5 lb. pork tenderloins
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 5 slices Swiss cheese (per sandwich)
- 5 slices thin deli ham (per sandwich)
- 3 slices dill pickle
- Fresh baked rolls
- 2 tbsp Oregano olive oil
Rub Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp course sea salt
- 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic power
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Light your grill and set it up for direct medium-high heat.
- Combine all rub ingredients and whisk together.
- Combine mayonnaise and yellow mustard with 2 tablespoons of the Cuban rub, mix thoroughly.
- While grill preheats and the spread melds together, rinse off pork tenderloins with cold water. Trim off any visible silver skin and pat dry .
- Rub pork with very thin coat of oil and season entire surface with a light dusting of the rub.
- Place pork over direct medium heat on the grill, cooking for 12-15 minutes, turning every 1.5-2 minutes.
- Remove pork when internal temperature reaches 140° F. Close grill lid but don’t turn it off.
- Baste pork with a light coat of oregano olive oil and let rest 5-10 minutes.
- Slice pork thinly.
- Apply a generous portion of the mayonnaise and seasoning mixture to the top bun and bottom of each sandwich roll and set aside.
- Assemble your sandwiches by layering slices of pork, ham, and cheese on the bottom bun. Place the assembled sandwiches in grill over indirect heat for about 4 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Remove from grill, top with pickle slices and your top bun, then slice and serve.