READY IN 23 mins

Classic Cuban Midnight (Medianoche) Sandwich

Read Reviews (97)

"This is one of the more famous sandwiches straight out of the island of Cuba. This recipe came from my uncle who used to work at a restaurant in Pinar del Rio, Cuba and now works at a Cuban cafeteria here in Miami. This sandwich is best served with fried plantain chips and a cold mamey milkshake!" — Pretty Pink Bullets

Directions

Split the sandwich rolls in half, and spread mustard and mayonnaise liberally onto the cut sides. On each sandwich, place and equal amount of Swiss cheese, ham and pork in exactly that order. Place a few pickles onto each one, and put the top of the roll onto the sandwich. Brush the tops with melted butter.
Press each sandwich in a sandwich press heated to medium-high heat. If a sandwich press is not available, use a large skillet over medium-high heat, and press the sandwiches down using a sturdy plate or skillet. Some indoor grills may be good for this also. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, keeping sandwiches pressed. If using a skillet, you may want to flip them once for even browning. Slice diagonally and serve hot.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 8 mins
READY IN 23 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 22, 2006

This is a good version of the Cuban as we know it but not the original, love all the different versions. Pork is spicy roasted, ham is also fresh not processed, good swiss cheese, dill pickles,cover the sandwich along with the mustard sauce.Cuban bread crispy on outside soft inside, heat on both sides, press with spatcular.do not melt cheese. This is from my brother- in-law, who is from cuba.

—MEMA

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 22, 2006

I've been making these sandwhiches for years only I use a club roll like a Paninni bread and 86 the maoy and mustard I use cilantro, parsley, garlic, hot chile flakes and olive oil, puree in food prosessor to make a pesto and spread that on the roll, you'll love it better and it's better for you

—fingers77

See full review »

122 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Mar 12, 2008

We use regular sub rolls from the grocery bakery. We spread a very thin coating of butter on the outside and lightly sprinkle them with garlic salt and black pepper. Once you grill them, they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Inside, we used thinly sliced deli ham and left over pork tenderloin from the night before, swiss cheese, mayo, mustard and fresh pickles such as claussen's. We grilled them up on the Foreman grill, pressing hard to flatten them out and heat everything through. I have yet to make these without rave reviews!! I now have a new favorite sandwich! Very easy to make and fantastic!! Thanks.

—AV8TOR

See full review »

Jul 21, 2006

This sandwich sounds like the real Medianoche to me. I have a Cuban-American cookbook from Miami, "Memories of A Cuban Kitchen" that includes the same recipe. Egg buns are a good bread to use - sweet and big enough in the dinner size. Most international bakeries/delis have egg buns. Thanks for thiss classic, yummy recipe!

—LESLEYPRINCE

See full review »

Nov 21, 2005

We also added Italian dressing and we didn't have sliced dill pickles, but we substitued dill pickle relish and it turned out great. This is definately a hit with our family and will our new use for left over pork loins. Thanks for the great recipe.

—DaddyBlack

See full review »

Sep 10, 2009

I am addicted to this sandwich as made at a Cuban bakery in Glendale, CA. and I have to say that this is close to town in flavors, BUT it is missing the garlic! I always smash a garlic and rub it on the cut side of the bread before spreading the mayo and mustard, and then follow the rest of the recipe as indicated -now that is a WOW of a Cuban sandwich! The reason for the added garlic flavor is that "traditional Cuban roasted pork" is loaded with garlic and that is the special flavor to this sandwich that you will not find in regular store bought sliced roasted pork. Try this trick to see the difference - Otherwise, this is a winner of a sandwich!

—Patty Q.

See full review »

Jul 21, 2006

Although I just used a hoagie roll instead of a sweet roll this was awesome-- I did use my George Foreman Grill to press the sandwich together-- although it had some cute grill marks across the bread it was sooooo easy to do instead of the heavy pressing with a skillet etc. Family loved it of course

—Jennifer

See full review »

Oct 09, 2003

Yum, the only thing I can compare these to is a Po'Boy. They are great. The plate trick really works too. I just brushed with a little olive oil to help crisp them. I used regular sandwich rolls too.

—Navy_Mommy

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Cuban Midnight Sandwich

Toasted Cuban Sandwich

Cuban Pork Roast I

Cuban Shredded Pork

Cuban Ropa Vieja

Chicken Fried Steak Cuban Style

Cuban Beef Stew

Ham Sandwich with Crunchy Maille(R) Cornichons

Reuben Sandwich I

Open-Faced Broiled Roast Beef Sandwich

Nutrition

Calories
1453 kcal
73%

Carbohydrates
69.1 g
22%

Cholesterol
275 mg
92%

Fat
88.4 g
136%

Fiber
4.4 g
18%

Protein
92.1 g
184%

Sodium
3309 mg
132%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Classic Cuban Midnight (Medianoche) Sandwich

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 1453
Calories from Fat: 796

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 88.4g 136 %
Saturated Fat 36.7g 183 %
Cholesterol 275mg 92 %
Sodium 3309mg 132 %
Potassium 1115mg 31 %
Total Carbohydrates 69.1g 22 %
Dietary Fiber 4.4g 18 %
Protein 92.1g 184 %
Sugars 3.7g
Vitamin A 26 %
Vitamin C 68 %
Calcium 121 %
Iron 57 %
** Thiamin 186 %
Niacin 268 %
Vitamin B6 101 %
Magnesium 49 %
Folate 26 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.