Cuban Sandwiches

[kguetzow]

Going out to try a new Cuban Sandwich restaurant and I realized that I haven't tried many. Other than being pressed, what are the hallmarks of a great one?

[KatieLoeb]

Going out to try a new Cuban Sandwich restaurant and I realized that I haven't tried many.  Other than being pressed, what are the hallmarks of a great one?

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Kurt:

Good ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard inside the sandwich, really chewy bread that gets crispy when pressed.

Tierra Colombiana makes a really fine Cubano Sangwich if you need a starting point from which to judge. Might be hard to beat their's though...

[kguetzow]

thanks Katie, I saw that they use Amoroso bread, and one website claims that the secret is to grill it until the ham,pork, and pickles steam themselves in their own juices.

[hwilson41]

In my mind the roast pork (after marination in Mojo) is the most critical. Good ham isn't that tough to find, although Cuban bread can be a trick. For years, I ate Cubanos at Antonio's just off 7th and D NW in DC. The sandwiches were heaven on a Cuban bun, and since they closed, I have never found another to equal it or even very close (sigh). Maybe I need to go to Florida .

THW

[xtian]

Going out to try a new Cuban Sandwich restaurant and I realized that I haven't tried many.

Do tell! Where is this new Cuban sandwich joint?

Hwilson, I am right there with you... Good bread makes a sandwich. Same as I've never had a good cheesesteak in FLA, I've never had a better Cuban than Miami & the Keys. I am willing to keep searching at every opportunity though...

[kguetzow]

Going out to try a new Cuban Sandwich restaurant and I realized that I haven't tried many.

Do tell! Where is this new Cuban sandwich joint?

Hwilson, I am right there with you... Good bread makes a sandwich. Same as I've never had a good cheesesteak in FLA, I've never had a better Cuban than Miami & the Keys. I am willing to keep searching at every opportunity though...

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It's in Allentown There are so few Gulleteers up here I didn't use the name of the place, El Punto. We just came back from there and the pork was good but there was no pickle on the sandwich. As I was eating mine I thought, "this would be a peice of heaven at two in the morning drunk". I looked at the hours and sure enough, they're open till 5 am on Friday and Saturday.

[judiu]

In my mind the roast pork (after marination in Mojo) is the most critical.  Good ham isn't that tough to find, although Cuban bread can be a trick.  For years, I ate Cubanos at Antonio's just off 7th and D NW in DC.  The sandwiches were heaven on a Cuban bun, and since they closed, I have never found another to equal it or even very close (sigh).  Maybe I need to go to Florida .

THW

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Don't bother; you almost can't find decent Cuban bread down here anymore, either! The good crusty bread with the palm leaf (?) down the center went the way of the dinosaurs, and the rest of the stuff is all "industriale". You can however, get Media Noche rolls which are eggy and slightly sweet. The same fixins as a Cuban Sandwich on this bread is called a Media Noche (midnight) sandwich and Kurt is correct, at midnight or more, with a half a bag on, they're incredible!

Edited February 11, 2005 by judiu (log)

[Rich Pawlak]

In my mind the roast pork (after marination in Mojo) is the most critical.  Good ham isn't that tough to find, although Cuban bread can be a trick.  For years, I ate Cubanos at Antonio's just off 7th and D NW in DC.  The sandwiches were heaven on a Cuban bun, and since they closed, I have never found another to equal it or even very close (sigh).  Maybe I need to go to Florida .

THW

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Don't bother; you almost can't find decent Cuban bread down here anymore, either! The good crusty bread with the palm leaf (?) down the center went the way of the dinosaurs, and the rest of the stuff is all "industriale". You can however, get Media Noche rolls which are eggy and slightly sweet. The same fixins as a Cuban Sandwich on this bread is called a Media Noche (midnight) sandwich and Kurt is correct, at midnight or more, with a half a bag on, they're incredible!

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I dont look for a Cuban sandwich in and around Philly for the same reason I dont look for cheesesteaks in Miami. Closest decent Cuban sandwich I've had north of Calle Ocho was in Union City, NJ, at a sandwich shop called Manuela's , or something like that, several years ago. Big Cuban population in that town, and some in Jersey City, too. Might be worth posting a query in the NJ forum. Certainly Frank Marchese of the Newark Star-Ledger, an occasional poster there, should have some ideas. Might be worth searching nj.com as well.

[NulloModo]

Should you find yourself in the hinterlands of Newark, DE, check out the Cuban Sandwhich at Picnic Mexitacos on Main St. Now, granted, it is the only cuban sandwhich I have ever had, so I can't compare it to any others, but it is super tasty, especially with their home made green salsa.

[Scoats]

The Cubano sammich at 12th Street Cantina in the Bourse food court is out of this friggin world. I believe they bake the wonderful bread themselves. It really is a world class sandwich.

[rlibkind]

The Cubano sammich at 12th Street Cantina in the Bourse food court is out of this friggin world. I believe they bake the wonderful bread themselves. It really is a world class sandwich.

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Wow! I'll have to check if 12th Street's RTM store does them, since that's where I tend to spend my time.

[Rich Pawlak]

The Cubano sammich at 12th Street Cantina in the Bourse food court is out of this friggin world. I believe they bake the wonderful bread themselves. It really is a world class sandwich.

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I think you mean the Bellevue Food court 12th St Cantina. And no, they dont make the rolls, they get them from a Portuguese bakery in Newark, Teixiera's probably. At least that was the story when I did the PR for them a few years ago.

[Greg Salisbury]

As long as you've never had the real thing, it's fine to eat a Cuban sandwich outside of its native habitat. But like so many region-specific dishes discussed here, it just doesn't translate to a different locale. The bread seems to be the most consistent culprit: it is never airy/crispy/yeasty enough. The closest I ever came to finding a decent non-Miami version was on 15th St. and 8th Ave in NYC, little sandwicheria with stacks and stacks of the bad boys in the windows, waiting to go on the press.

If anyone wants to place an order, I will be coming back from Miami on 3/1.

[mrbigjas]

The Cubano sammich at 12th Street Cantina in the Bourse food court is out of this friggin world. I believe they bake the wonderful bread themselves. It really is a world class sandwich.

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I think you mean the Bellevue Food court 12th St Cantina. And no, they dont make the rolls, they get them from a Portuguese bakery in Newark, Teixiera's probably. At least that was the story when I did the PR for them a few years ago.

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rich, are those the same portuguese rolls they sell at garden fresh deli up here in fairmount? i love those things. they're like kaisers, but way better.

[Sfuffy]

I think you mean the Bellevue Food court  12th St Cantina.  And no, they dont make the rolls, they get them from a Portuguese bakery in Newark, Teixiera's probably.  At least that was the story when I did the PR for them a few years ago.

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rich, are those the same portuguese rolls they sell at garden fresh deli up here in fairmount? i love those things. they're like kaisers, but way better.

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The Pathmark on Oregon Ave. sells Texeira's rolls.

Edited February 18, 2005 by Sfuffy (log)

[rlibkind]

The 12th St. Cantina at the RTM also offers Cuban sandwiches; if I hadn't just had breakfast I would have tried one!

[ellencho]

I'm a big fan of the 12th St Cantina's Cubana. Jeez louise they're delicious but they take a long time to press. Usually I do a little light shopping while I'm waiting. I haven't been back for them in a while though, because the guy who usually takes the money was away so the guy who usually cooked handled my money using his plastic gloves, and then began making my sandwich with the same plastic gloves.

For halfway decent make at home cuban sandwiches I recommend using Genuardi's ciabatta bread. The crust gets really hard and crunchy and the inside steams up really nicely.

[Carlson1105]

Had a 12th St. Cantina Cubano for lunch today. While I agree it is not the Miami version, it was very good. The shredded pork was very tasty, seasoned nicely. On the subject of international sandwiches, can anyone recommend a good Vietnamese Hoagie in the area?

[TruCooking]

While in Nicaragua (a country that is good friends with the Cubans), we ate many Cuban subs. Now Living in Europe I've been researching and experimenting for a good mouth watering Cuban Sub (media noche). Marinating the pork in a good Adobo is one of the keys, also the dill pickle I found very important, along with crusty bread and a nice garlic sauce to top it off. I did try using a George Foreman grill to press the ingredients together and it did okay, but I needed a better sandwich press. Now equipped with a professional press that is heavy enough to squish the sandwich so it steams the ingredients together has definitely helped. I've served these up to many and they talk about having dreams of them.

Marinade for the Pork: garlic, olive oil, fresh sour orange juice, cumin, ground oregano, koshar salt, freshly ground black pepper - marinate over night.

Garlic sauce: Garlic, koshar salt, plain yogurt, juice of a lemon, and olive oil - all to taste of course.

[herbacidal]

As far as Vietnamese hoagies (aka banh mi),

my favorite (and I've only tired 3 places) has always been Ba Le the bakery at the shopping center at 6th and Washington.

It is slightly less my favorite than before, because they raised prices from $2 to $2.50.

On the good side, I'm reasonably certain they have the most hoagie choices,

and (check to be sure) the buy 5, get 1 free deal is still intact.

[all-u-care-2]

It's in Allentown    There are so few Gulleteers up here I didn't use the name of the place, El Punto.   We just came back from there and the pork was good but there was no pickle on the sandwich.  As I was eating mine I thought, "this would be a peice of heaven at two in the morning drunk".  I looked at the hours and sure enough, they're open till 5 am on Friday and Saturday.

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Is this what yer talking about?

SANDWICHERA EL PUNTO

410 W TILGHMAN ST

ALLENTOWN PA 18102

( 610 ) 435 - 9170

Edited February 26, 2005 by all-u-care-2 (log)

[NickV]

It's true that the bread really is crucial. I grew up eating bread from the Cuban bakeries in Key West, and now, living in Sarasota, I've had a few cuban sandwiches that just don't stack up. It's all because of the bread. Not enough lard in the dough I think. And none of them have that characteristic stripe of dough down the center.

I'm curious about the regional differences of Cuban sandwiches. In KW it's called a Cuban Mix, and anywhere you go, it comes not only with pickles, but also shredded lettuce and tomato. All of the sandwich shops make then that way. A medianoche down there is what seems to be a Cuban sandwich elsewhere, with the sweet roll, of course (I find it similar to king's hawaiian bread).

[kguetzow]

It's in Allentown    There are so few Gulleteers up here I didn't use the name of the place, El Punto.   We just came back from there and the pork was good but there was no pickle on the sandwich.  As I was eating mine I thought, "this would be a peice of heaven at two in the morning drunk".  I looked at the hours and sure enough, they're open till 5 am on Friday and Saturday.

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Is this what yer talking about?

SANDWICHERA EL PUNTO

410 W TILGHMAN ST

ALLENTOWN PA 18102

( 610 ) 435 - 9170

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Thats the place.do you live nearby? Here's a great story that followed our visit

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all...localpolice-hed