The Cuban Sandwich Just Got A Bold Breakfast Makeover
"Do you ever have those moments, when you haven't eaten 'a thing' in a while, and when you have it, it is like falling in love all over again?" Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins sure knows how to sell a dish, describing this Cuban-style breakfast sandwich as "lost love found." According to her, "Cuban sandwiches are as close to culinary perfection as you can come — salty, savory, zesty, tangy, melty-cheesy, with little toasty crispy bits (swoon)." Whether or not your sandwich hierarchy looks the same, there's something to be said about a loaded pork sandwich with a citrusy cumin-spiced marinade and sharp, tangy onion and pickle garnishes.
Watkins takes it a step further by modifying the sandwich for a breakfast/brunch feel. As she notes, "The typical/traditional sandwich is a layered masterpiece of mojo roasted pork loin, deli-sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickle chips/slices, and mustard — all married together on pillowy white loaf-like pan-Cubano rolls." To retain the sandwich's character, she keeps the main components the same, making a few breakfast-inspired tweaks, such as using pork roll, English muffins, and fried eggs. "That rich, oozy yolk combines with the buttery mustard spread, mojo marinated pork, and crispy, skillet-caramelized pork roll – it also melts into all those English muffin nooks and crannies, too. Pure deliciousness, breakfast addition."
Gather the ingredients for this Cuban-style breakfast sandwich
To make the marinated pork loin, you'll need garlic cloves (peeled and minced), yellow onion (minced), olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, dried oregano, ground cumin, black pepper, and a pork loin. Then, to assemble the sandwich, get olive oil, eggs, pork roll or Taylor ham slices, large or king-sized English muffins (split), softened salted butter, yellow or Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese slices, sliced red onion, sliced cornichons or dill pickles, and hot sauce.
Step 1: Make the mojo marinade
To make the mojo marinade, place the garlic, onion, oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in a large bowl, whisk to combine.
Step 2: Marinate the pork overnight
Place the pork loin in a zipper baggie and cover with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3: Preheat the oven
Once the pork loin has marinated, preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 4: Prep the skillet
Line an oven-proof skillet with aluminum foil.
Step 5: Roast the pork
Place the pork loin in the prepared skillet, drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the marinade, and roast for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F.
Step 6: Heat oil in a skillet
While the pork is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Step 7: Fry the eggs
Once hot, add the eggs, and cook until the egg whites are firm and the yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. (Feel free to cook the eggs to your liking and desired doneness.)
Step 8: Set the fried eggs aside
Remove the eggs from the skillet and set aside.
Step 9: Cut slits in pork roll
Slice 4 slits into the pork roll (this will help keep the pork roll from ballooning).
Step 10: Brown the pork roll in a skillet
Place the prepped pork roll into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes per side or until slightly caramelized around the edges.
Step 11: Set the skillet aside
Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Step 12: Remove the pork from oven
Once the pork loin has roasted, remove it from the oven, and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 13: Slice the pork loin
Once rested, thinly slice the pork loin, and set it aside.
Step 14: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to broil on low.
Step 15: Place English muffins on a baking sheet
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the split English muffins on the prepared baking sheet 'nook and cranny' side-up.
Step 16: Spread with butter and mustard
Spread the split muffins with softened butter and mustard.
Step 17: Add the meats to the muffins
Divide the sliced pork loin and pork roll between the muffin bottoms.
Step 18: Add the cheese
Top the pork with slices of Swiss cheese and place the baking sheet in the oven.
Step 19: Broil to melt the cheese
Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the muffins are toasted.
Step 20: Garnish with onions
Remove from the oven and top the cheese with onion slices.
Step 21: Add the pickles
Top with pickles (about 4 pickle slices or 2 sliced cornichons per sandwich).
Step 22: Add the egg
Top with fried eggs.
Step 23: Add the muffin top and serve
Cap the sandwiches with the muffin tops and serve with hot sauce on the side for an extra kick.
What pairs well with a Cuban-style breakfast sandwich?
Cuban-Style Breakfast Sandwich Recipe
A Cuban sandwich gets a breakfast makeover with mojo marinated pork, crispy, skillet-caramelized pork roll, and an oozy fried egg on a toasted English muffin.
Ingredients
- For the pork loin
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ½ cup minced yellow onion
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds pork loin
- To assemble
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 pork roll or Taylor ham slices
- 4 large or king-sized English muffins, split
- ¼ cup softened salted butter
- ¼ cup yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup sliced cornichons or dill pickles
- Hot sauce, for serving
Directions
- To make the mojo marinade, place the garlic, onion, oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in a large bowl, whisk to combine.
- Place the pork loin in a zipper baggie and cover with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight.
- Once the pork loin has marinated, preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Line an oven-proof skillet with aluminum foil.
- Place the pork loin in the prepared skillet, drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the marinade, and roast for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F.
- While the pork is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the eggs, and cook until the egg whites are firm and the yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. (Feel free to cook the eggs to your liking and desired doneness.)
- Remove the eggs from the skillet and set aside.
- Slice 4 slits into the pork roll (this will help keep the pork roll from ballooning).
- Place the prepped pork roll into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes per side or until slightly caramelized around the edges.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Once the pork loin has roasted, remove it from the oven, and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Once rested, thinly slice the pork loin, and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to broil on low.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the split English muffins on the prepared baking sheet 'nook and cranny' side-up.
- Spread the split muffins with softened butter and mustard.
- Divide the sliced pork loin and pork roll between the muffin bottoms.
- Top the pork with slices of Swiss cheese and place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the muffins are toasted.
- Remove from the oven and top the cheese with onion slices.
- Top with pickles (about 4 pickle slices or 2 sliced cornichons per sandwich).
- Top with fried eggs.
- Cap the sandwiches with the muffin tops and serve with hot sauce on the side for an extra kick.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 1,032 |
| Total Fat | 71.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 24.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 339.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 40.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 7.1 g |
| Sodium | 1,139.4 mg |
| Protein | 58.1 g |
Can you press this sandwich?
Cuban sandwiches are commonly pressed on a grill, which is a great way to serve the breakfast variant too. Watkins says, "If you have the tools (panini press or panini pan), definitely give these sandwiches a press!" You'll want to make a slight modification, though, to prevent the sandwich from being too messy. Instead of frying the eggs to the point that they are still runny, cook them a little longer. "Fry your eggs to somewhere in the over-medium territory (that's when the yolk is soft, but not runny)," Watkins recommends, "The 'more done' eggs won't make a runny mess on your panini pan." Oozing egg yolks are all well and good, but you want them to start oozing when you take a bite — not all over your panini press.
As for how long to cook the sandwiches, Watkins says: "Press your sandwiches until just toasted — moderately crispy exterior but with a nice center softness (that way you won't dry out your sandwich)." A crispy exterior with a tender and juicy interior? Sign us up!
How can you slow cook the pork loin?
Roasting marinated pork loin yields flavorful results, but it's not the only way to do it. "You can absolutely cook the pork loin portion of this recipe in your slow cooker," Wakins tells us. Follow the same instructions for marinating the pork, then transfer the meat and any extra marinade from the bag into your slow cooker. "Cover and cook on low for 8+ hours (check the internal temp at the 8-hour mark and continue slow cooking if necessary)," Watkins says, "You could also slow cook on high for 4+ hours."
After the meat has cooked fully, you'll proceed as usual, removing it from the slow cooker pot and letting it rest before slicing. Watkins offers a pro tip that sounds tasty enough to convince anyone to go the slow cooker route: "You can also use those pan drippings to baste your sliced pork before serving — an excellent idea if you are a fan of zesty garlic."