Cast-Iron Pressed Cuban Sandwich Camping Recipe with Ham, Roast Pork and Swiss
Build Cuban sandwiches at camp with mustard, Swiss, sliced roast pork, ham and pickles on soft rolls. Butter the outsides and toast them two at a time in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat on a camp stove or grate, pressed flat with a foil-wrapped brick for about 8 minutes per batch. Plan on 10 minutes of prep and about 20 minutes of cooking to feed four.
A good camp sandwich is hot, crisp outside and melty inside, and it doesn't need a real kitchen. This pressed Cuban does all of that with deli meat you already keep in the cooler. Nothing raw, nothing fussy, and one skillet to wash.
The trick is the press. A foil-wrapped brick or a heavy lid squashes the roll flat, so the butter toasts evenly and the cheese glues everything together. Pair it with chips and a cold drink and you have lunch that beats anything from a gas-station cooler case.
Cast-Iron Pressed Cuban Sandwich Camping Recipe with Ham, Roast Pork and Swiss
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-low flame or medium-low coals
- Pack weight
- 3.5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- brick or small heavy lid, wrapped in foil
- foil
- metal spatula
- serrated knife
- butter knife
- instant-read thermometer (optional)
- camp stove or campfire grate
Steps
-
Wrap the press
Wrap a clean brick or a small heavy lid in two layers of foil. Set it near the stove so it's ready when the sandwiches hit the pan.
-
Mustard the rolls
Spread 1 Tbsp mustard across the cut sides of each roll. Mustard on both sides acts as a seal against wet pickles.
-
Stack the sandwiches
On the bottom of each roll, layer 1 slice Swiss, then pork, ham, 4 pickle chips and a second slice of Swiss. Cheese on both ends of the meat holds the stack together. Close the rolls.
-
Butter the outsides
Stir the garlic powder into the softened butter if using. Spread 1 Tbsp over the top and bottom of each sandwich, a thin layer on each side.
-
Heat the skillet
Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. If it smokes right away, it's too hot, so move it off the flame or lift it higher over the coals.
-
Toast and press
Lay 2 sandwiches in the skillet and set the foil-wrapped brick on top. Cook 4 minutes, then flip, press again and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until deep golden.
-
Check the center
The cheese should be fully melted and the meat steaming hot. If you have a thermometer, the center should read 165°F. Move the sandwiches to a plate and repeat with the other two.
-
Rest and slice
Let each sandwich sit 1 minute so the cheese sets. Slice on the diagonal and eat while hot.
Trail Notes
Assemble the sandwiches at home without butter, wrap each tightly in foil or wax paper, and pack them in the cooler for up to 24 hours. Butter the outsides at camp and toast as written. Add a minute per side if they're cold from the cooler.
No brick? Press with a smaller heavy skillet or a Dutch oven lid. Swap the pork for more ham or sliced turkey, or use provolone or pepper jack in place of the Swiss.
Keep deli meat and cheese at 40°F or below until you build the sandwiches. Don't leave assembled sandwiches out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F.
Pack out all foil, wax paper and pickle jar brine in a sealed container. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and pack out the crumbs and butter scraps rather than scraping them into the dirt.
Campers ask
What are the best sandwiches to make while camping?
Sandwiches built from deli meat, hard cheese and sturdy rolls hold up best, and a hot pressed sandwich like a Cuban needs only one skillet. Skip tomatoes and lettuce until the end, since they turn soggy fast.
How do you keep camping sandwiches from getting soggy?
Spread mustard or butter on both cut sides of the bread, and put cheese against the bread with the wet ingredients like pickles in the middle. If you pack them ahead, wrap each one tightly and keep it flat in the cooler.
Do you need a sandwich press or pie iron to make hot sandwiches camping?
No. A cast-iron skillet and a foil-wrapped brick or heavy lid press a sandwich just as well. Cook over medium-low heat so the bread browns before the outside burns.
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