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a closed lightly pressed golden long sub roll cut diagonally, showing thin grilled pork-loin slices, pale-pink ham, melted Swiss, flat dill-pickle slices and yellow mustard, without shredded pork or garnish
Andrew Fowler

Cuban-Style Sub

Pat the marinated pork-loin cutlets dry before grilling so they brown instead of steaming, then rest and slice them across the grain. Ham, Swiss, pickles and yellow mustard give the pressed sub its familiar flavor without a long-braised shoulder as the starting point. Keep the pickle layer flat and press over moderate heat, because a soft long roll only needs enough crispness to support the warm filling without turning into a hard shell.
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless pork-loin cutlets about 1 1/2 lb total and 1/2 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 oz thinly sliced fully cooked ham
  • 6 oz Swiss cheese thinly sliced
  • 8 long thin dill-pickle slices blotted dry
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 4 soft plain sub rolls 8 inches long

Method
 

  1. Whisk orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt in a shallow container. Add pork, turn to coat and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Lift pork from the marinade, discard the marinade, pat the cutlets dry and brush with oil.
  3. Grill pork for 3 to 5 minutes per side until the centers reach 145°F, then rest for at least 3 minutes. Warm ham briefly on the grill for about 30 seconds per side.
  4. Slice pork thinly across the grain. Split the rolls and spread mustard over the cut faces, then layer half the Swiss, sliced pork, ham, two pickle slices per roll and the remaining cheese.
  5. Close the subs and spread butter thinly over their outsides. Heat a large skillet over medium-low and cook two sandwiches at a time under a second heavy pan.
  6. Press for 3 to 5 minutes per side until lightly crisp, the cheese melts and the centers reach 165°F, lowering the heat if the bread colors too quickly. Repeat with the remaining two sandwiches.
  7. Rest for 2 minutes, then cut diagonally across the middle and serve one sub per person.