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In Key West, [[mayonnaise]], [[lettuce]], and [[tomato]] are usually added. These additions are often available in restaurants in Tampa and Miami, but are frowned upon by traditionalists there.<ref name="TobinEachOwn"/><ref name="RuggQuest">{{cite web |url= http://www.eatfoo.com/archives/2006/08/tampa_cuban_quest_la_teresita_1.php |title= Tampa Cuban Quest: La Teresita |author= Adam Rugg |work= Eat Foo |date= [[11 August]] [[2006]] |quote= }}</ref>
In Key West, [[mayonnaise]], [[lettuce]], and [[tomato]] are usually added. These additions are often available in restaurants in Tampa and Miami, but are frowned upon by traditionalists there.<ref name="TobinEachOwn"/><ref name="RuggQuest">{{cite web |url= http://www.eatfoo.com/archives/2006/08/tampa_cuban_quest_la_teresita_1.php |title= Tampa Cuban Quest: La Teresita |author= Adam Rugg |work= Eat Foo |date= [[11 August]] [[2006]] |quote= }}</ref>


When assembled, the sandwich is lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a ''plancha'', which is only somewhat similar to a [[Panini (sandwich)|panini]] press but without grooved surfaces. The ''plancha'' both heats and compresses the sandwich, which remains in the press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted. It is usually cut into diagonal halves before serving.
When assembled, the sandwich is lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a ''plancha'', which is similar to a [[Panini (sandwich)|panini]] press but without grooved surfaces. The ''plancha'' both heats and compresses the sandwich, which remains in the press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted. It is usually cut into diagonal halves before serving.


==Related dishes==
==Related dishes==

Revision as of 16:20, 21 August 2009

Typical Cuban mix from South Florida

A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created by Cuban workers, either in Cuba or in Key West, Florida.[1]

Later, Cubans brought it to other communities in southern Florida, particularly Ybor City in Tampa and Miami[2][3][4] where it is very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami[4] on Cuban bread.[3]

History

As with Cuban bread, the origin of the Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a "Cuban mix", "mixto sandwich", or "Cuban Pressed Sandwich") is somewhat murky. The sandwich became a common lunch food for workers in both the cigar factories and sugar mills of Cuba and the cigar factories of Key West in the 1870s.[1]

At that time, travel between Cuba and Florida was easy, and Cubans frequently sailed back and forth for employment, pleasure, and family visits. Because of this blending of culture and ideas, it’s impossible to say where the Cuban sandwich first became a common worker’s meal.[3] By around 1910, however, workers’ cafés in both Ybor City and Cuba were serving many such sandwiches daily.[5][6][7]

The Cuban sandwich was served in kiosks, coffee bars and casual restaurants throughout Cuba, especially in the big cities such as Havana or Santiago de Cuba. Years later, Miami also gained a resident Cuban population. By the 1960s, Cuban sandwiches were common on Miami cafeteria and restaurant menus, and are still very popular there today.[8]

Following the Castro-led Communist Revolution in 1959, Cuban expatriates spread these sandwiches (along with other foods and elements of Cuban culture) to Cuban exile communities in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Puerto Rico, among other places.

Ingredients

Cuban Sandwiches ready to be pressed in a busy cafe in Ybor City, Tampa

While there is some debate as to the contents of a “true” Cuban sandwich, most are generally agreed upon. The traditional Cuban sandwich starts with Cuban bread. The loaf is sliced into lengths of 8-12 inches (20-30 cm), lightly buttered on the crust, and cut in half horizontally. A coat of yellow mustard is spread on the bread. Then roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly-sliced dill pickles are added in layers. Sometimes the pork is marinated in mojo and slow roasted.

The main regional disagreement about the sandwich’s recipe is whether or not to include salami. In Tampa, Genoa salami[4] is traditionally layered in with the other meats, probably due to influence of Italian immigrants who lived side-by-side with Cubans and Spaniards in Ybor City.[5][9] In Miami, salami is left out.

In Key West, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato are usually added. These additions are often available in restaurants in Tampa and Miami, but are frowned upon by traditionalists there.[9][10]

When assembled, the sandwich is lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a plancha, which is similar to a panini press but without grooved surfaces. The plancha both heats and compresses the sandwich, which remains in the press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted. It is usually cut into diagonal halves before serving.

See also: Cuban cuisine

A very similar and popular sandwich is the medianoche or "midnight" sandwich, so named because of the sandwich's popularity as a staple served in Havana's night clubs right around or after midnight. It is smaller in size and contains the same ingredients as a Cuban sandwich, minus the glazed ham, and made on a softer bread made from a sweet yellow egg dough, similar to challah.[11]

References and Bibliography

  1. ^ a b Eric Logan. "History of Cuban Sandwich".
  2. ^ Linda Stradley (© 2004). "History of Cuban Sandwich, Cubano Sandwich". What's Cooking America website. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Andrew Huse. "Welcome to Cuban Sandwich City". Cigar City Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 2.
  4. ^ a b c Three Guys From Miami (undated). "Sandwich Cubano / Cuban Sandwich". iCuban website. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b Otto, Steve (24 Oct, 2007). "Cuban Is Ours, Any Way You Try To Slice It". The Tampa Tribune. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Cuban Bread: A History". Bread-Maker website.
  7. ^ Sara Kennedy (14 August 2002). "Viva El Cubano". Creative Loafing Tampa. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Enrique Fernandez (9 August 2007). "Our search for a good Cuban sandwich takes a surprising turn" (PDF). The Miami Herald. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Thomas C. Tobin (18 January 2003). "To each, his own sandwich". St. Petersburg Times. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Adam Rugg (11 August 2006). "Tampa Cuban Quest: La Teresita". Eat Foo. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ http://www.tasteofcuba.com/medianoche.html

This dish and its origin are also mentioned in:

  • Espinosa, Jack. Cuban Bread Crumbs. Xlibris Corporation. 2008. ISBN 9781425796785.
  • Lastra, Frank, Ybor City : The Making of a Landmark Town. University of Tampa Press. 2006. ISBN 9781597320023.
  • Pacheo, Ferdie. Ybor City Chronicles: A Memoir. University of Florida Press. 1994. ISBN 9780813012964.
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