In A Pinch, Grab Hot Dogs For Your Next Cuban Sandwich

Like any classic sandwich, a Cuban sandwich should incorporate a good mix of flavors and textures: savory pork and ham, smooth Swiss cheese, sharp pickles, and tangy mustard. If you have positive feelings about putting salami on a Cuban sandwich, then you can add that as well. But if you're ever looking to put together a quick lunch, pork might be the ingredient you're least likely to have on hand. So, if you're curious enough to try it, hot dogs tag in as a pork substitute on a Cuban sandwich — and you might find them hiding in your fridge right now.

To make the hot dogs sandwich-friendly, the strategy is to cut the weenie lengthwise and right down the middle, leaving two long halves which you then cook. All the other ingredients get added after that. Traditionally, everything gets stacked between two grilled slices of Cuban bread, which is a chewy white loaf that's baked in a longer form almost like a baguette. That shape works perfectly for adding hot dogs, so you don't need to chop up your frank beyond that initial lengthwise cut. A beef or pork frank won't have exactly the same flavor as pulled or slow roasted pork, but it will add a firm and juicy texture to the overall sandwich.

Cuban sandwiches are a Florida staple and this is the same state where hot dog Cubans originally got popular. There's a bit of a rivalry between Tampa and Miami over who invented the Cuban, but the sandwich itself — as the name suggests — originated in Havana, Cuba. There, it first appeared as a street food called the mixto, which is a Spanish term for "mixed" in reference to the ham and pork combo. That ham, pickle, and cheese sandwich then appeared in Tampa thanks to Cuban immigrants to the city, and later in Miami. There isn't a clear origin story for the hot dog variant, but it's now a known phenomenon in Florida eateries.

If it sounds appetizing, then the inverse of a hot dog Cuban is also possible: a Cuban-style hot dog, which is similarly easy to make. Just cook up your favorite grocery store hot dog and top it off with Swiss cheese, thin slices of ham, and either pickle chips or a slice of pickle that's been cut along its length. Mustard gets added as well, along with other toppings like sliced onions. You're essentially swapping out Cuban bread for a hot dog bun, but otherwise you'll be keeping most of the same ingredients. It's a tasty way to complicate the never-ending hot dog versus sandwich debate.