Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together Kinder's Cali Gold BBQ Sauce and yellow mustard until smooth.
- Slice the Cuban bread in half horizontally. Generously spread the BBQ-mustard mixture across both the top and bottom cut sides.
- On the bottom half of the bread, layer: ham slices, shredded pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle slices.
- Top with the second bread half.
- Preheat your panini press to medium-high and coat with cooking spray. If using a grill pan, heat over medium-high and have a heavy cast-iron skillet ready to press the sandwich down.
- Press the sandwich down firmly and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the bread is deeply golden and crisp and the cheese is fully melted. If using a grill pan, press down with the heavy skillet and flip once.
- Remove, let cool 1 minute, then slice diagonally and serve with a small bowl of extra BBQ-mustard sauce on the side for dipping.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don't rush the press — Medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes is the range. Go faster and the cheese doesn't melt through; go slower and the bread starts to dry out. Firm, steady pressure the whole time.
- Ham quality makes a difference — Get thick-cut ham from the deli counter. Thin-sliced lunch meat compresses into nothing under the press and loses its texture.
- Use leftover pork — Slow-cooked pork shoulder, pulled pork, or store-bought carnitas all work here. Well-seasoned and tender is what matters — the Cali Gold sauce handles the rest.
- Make the sauce ahead — The BBQ-mustard mix keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. It works on eggs, burgers, grilled chicken, and roasted vegetables — make a double batch.
- No panini press? No problem — A hot cast-iron skillet with another heavy skillet on top works perfectly. Flip once after 4-5 minutes per side until both sides are golden.
- Plantain chips or kettle-cooked potato chips are the right call alongside this sandwich. The crunch and salt play directly off the richness of the pressed pork and cheese.
- For something more substantial, a watermelon and arugula salad works well — the peppery greens and sweet fruit cut through the fat of the sandwich without competing with it. A simple lime slaw (shredded cabbage, lime juice, a pinch of salt) does the same work in less time.
- Extra BBQ-mustard sauce on the side is worth the 30 seconds it takes. It doubles as a dip and keeps the second half of the sandwich from going dry if it sits for a minute before eating.
- Serve immediately off the press. The crust holds its texture for 5-10 minutes, then starts to soften.
- This sandwich is at its best straight off the press. The crust texture holds for about 10 minutes before it starts to go soft — that's the nature of any pressed sandwich.
- Leftovers wrapped tightly in foil keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. To reheat, put it back on a hot panini press or dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. It won't fully recapture the original crust, but it gets close.
- The BBQ-mustard sauce stores separately for up to a week in a sealed jar. Worth making a double batch — it has uses well beyond this sandwich.
- Don't freeze the assembled sandwich. The bread doesn't recover.