We used to travel to Miami every year to go to the Winter Music Conference. Meeting with fellow music industry friends, seeing your favorite DJ’s by a pool or stacked back to back in art deco boutique hotels, paying $12 for a Corona… oh that’s right, we don’t go anymore. The highlight of WMC was secretly always about one thing, yes the music was great… but it was the late night Cuban sandwiches with matchstick potato chips at David’s in South Beach with a sweet and slap-your-face Cuban coffee. Every time we see this on a menu, we’re pulled to order it because quite simply- it’s a great combo of flavors (and probably for the sentimental value too.) Ham, pork, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese and dill pickles on a crunchy French style bread, grilled on a plancha or grill press to be melty and crunchy.
We had a date on Sunday after watching The Grand Budapest Hotel at Big Picture, then ducked into The Inn Keeper across the street for a late lunch. The Cuban was spotted, ordered and was delicious. Instead of pickles, they substituted picked jalapeños, and had a moist pulled pork and spiced mayonnaise. I missed the French style bread but it was amazing all the same.
Here’s a recipe for a Cuban, I think a little slice of mango in there would add a nice sweetness, but I digress.
- 8″ Cuban bread
- 2 T yellow mustard
- 5 oz. smoked or roasted pork
- 3 oz. sweet cured ham (Black Forest would work)
- Few slices of dill pickles
- Few slices Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese
- Butter for the outside of bread and grill
Press down on sandwich, and cook sandwich one each side for 5-6 minutes, allowing the flavors from the cheese, pork and ham to infuse and for the sandwich to flatten down. Enjoy!
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