I love American football, and I love good food. Join me on a journey of culinary delight as I explore the finest food each city hosting an NFL team has to offer. In this post, I’m sharing gridiron grub inspired by Tampa, Florida – the Cuban Sandwich.
Home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa and Miami may argue about which city has the best Cuban sandwich, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have plenty of fabulous examples to bring to the table, outside and inside the football stadium. So… let the teams fight it out on the field while you just sit back and enjoy the mouthwatering eats.
Thanks to American chef and food writer, James Kenji López-Alt for putting together this Cuban Sandwich recipe.
The Cuban Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 soft baguettes split open horizontally
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) yellow mustard
- 6 ounces (170g) sliced Swiss cheese
- 6 ounces (170g) thinly sliced dill pickles
- 8 ounces (220g) sliced honey ham
- 6 ounces (170g) leftover Cuban-style roast pork
- 4 ounces (115g) sliced Genoa salami
- 2 tablespoons (25g) butter
Directions
- Preheat a panini press or a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Lay bread, open side up, on a work surface and spread the bottom and top halves with mustard.
- Layer bottom and top halves with Swiss cheese.
- Working only on bottom halves, layer on all of the pickles, ham, roast pork, and salami. Close sandwiches, pressing gently.
- Butter top and bottom of panini press and press sandwiches with moderate pressure until crisp on both sides, about 8 minutes. If using a cast iron skillet or griddle, melt half of butter in pan and add sandwiches. Use a second pan to press on them as the first side crisps.
- When crisp, flip sandwiches, add remaining butter, swirl to coat, and continue cooking while pressing until crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Slice sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.
Love food? For more amazing recipes like this, visit the Food and Travel section of our blog and explore the amazing food each city hosting an NFL team has to offer.
Photo credit: James Kenji López-Alt