Community Corner
How the Cuban Sandwich Arrived in Tampa Bay
Chef Anne gives us some background on how the Cuban sandwich landed on the shores of Tampa Bay and shares her recipe for this very popular sandwich.
I’ve got a delicious and easy recipe for a hot, pressed Cuban sandwich that I make at my restaurant. But first, a short history of how the Cuban sandwich made its way to Tampa Bay.
In the late 1880s, fire destroyed Vincente Martinez Ybor's Key West cigar factory, so he moved his factory to an area in Tampa that we know today as Ybor City. His immigrant workers came along with him and, thus, the Cuban sandwich.
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A Cuban sandwich can be prepared dozens of ways. Many people say it must have ham; others use Genoa salami. Many will tell you only to use pork shoulder; others say loin. I’ve been told you “must” use real Cuban bread, but I swear by my French bread sandwiches. So, as is the case with many classic recipes, there's a lot of wiggle room in how you prepare this sandwich. As a wise chef mentor once told me, "If a chef doesn’t know how to put his own creative touches into a recipe, he needs to become a baker.”
OK, all you bakers out there — it was his quote, not mine. I have a lot of respect for bakers and all their precise, to-the-millimeter ingredients. My personality just enjoys the freedom of going off the straight and narrow.
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The Deli Diva’s Cuban Sandwich
- 1 loaf French bread
- Mustard (traditionally it’s yellow, but I prefer the full body of spicy brown)
- 2 large Kosher dill pickles, sliced into ½ rounds
- ½ pound cooked and thinly-sliced pork loin
- ½ pound sliced Genoa salami
- ½ pound sliced provolone cheese
Directions
- Slice the bread lengthwise and slather on the mustard. Lay on pickle slices, pork, salami and cheese.
- Press in your Panini grill on high for two to three minutes. Be sure to press down on the grill. You want to really flatten the sandwich. It’s done when you hear it start to sizzle and the bread is crisp and brown. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Chef’s Tip: If you don’t have a Panini or contact grill, put the sandwich in a non-stick pan. Place a sheet of foil on the sandwich and put a heavy pan on it. Then place something heavy in that pan, like a couple pounds of potatoes, or a five-pound bag of sugar. That will give it the pressure it needs to cook correctly. You’ll still have to flip the sandwich and do the same to the other side, but your sandwich will come out just as delicious as with the sandwich grill.
Looking for a place to grab a good Cuban sandwich in Dunedin? Try .
