Spiced pork tenderloin is sliced and pressed into sandwiches with homemade fennel bread, cheese, pickles, and ham. It’s an incredible sandwich!

Homemade Cuban Sandwich - Sliced in Half to show Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Filling

Cuban sandwiches are awesome to begin with.

I mean, any variation on ham and cheese has to be good right?

Well I did a little spin on the Cuban by rubbing the pork tenderloin with a spice mixture and making a homemade fennel seed bread to go with it since fennel goes absolutely beautifully with pork.

Arugula and Mixed Greens on a Cutting Board

This sandwich is crispy, cheesy, meaty, it’s got the salty crunch from the pickles, the juicy tomatoes.

Well heck, it’s got everything.

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Cuban Sandwich Sliced in Half on White Plate

Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Cuban Sandwiches with Homemade Fennel Seed Bread

Spiced pork tenderloin is sliced and pressed into sandwiches with homemade fennel bread, cheese, pickles, and ham. It's an incredible sandwich!
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Ingredients

  • 4 fennel seed bread rolls*
  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 4 tsp coarse ground mustard
  • 1/2 lb Swiss cheese about 8 slices
  • 1/2 lb black forest ham
  • 8 dill pickle slices
  • 8 slices of tomato
  • 1 cup arugula leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • butter or oil for the panini press

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat up an ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat.
  • Rub the pork tenderloin with 1.5 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp pepper. Whisk together the cumin, coriander, thyme, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar to combine, then rub it all over the pork.
  • Once the cast iron skillet has heated up, sear all sides of the pork tenderloin for 5 minutes, until browned. Pop the pan into the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the interior reaches 150 degrees F. Cool on a wire rack, and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Once cooled, slice the pork on a bias into thin slices.
  • Slice the rolls in half, and spread 1 tsp of mustard on each roll. Place 1 slice of cheese on each half of the rolls (the cheese protects the bread from getting soggy). Place 2 slices of the black forest ham on the bottom, then one layer of sliced pork tenderloin, 2 slices of tomato, ¼ cup arugula, and 2 pickles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sandwiches.
  • Heat up a panini press to high, and rub the surface with the oil or butter. Press the sandwiches for 10 minutes until golden brown and crusty, and serve.

Notes

*For the fennel rolls, make A Bread Recipe for Those Who Don’t Know How To Boil Water and just add 2 tsp fennel seed to the dough. Shape the dough into rolls and bake according to the instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 158mg, Sodium: 1207mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.