Cuban Press

Preheat sandwich press (see note below if you do not have a sandwich press).

Cut bread loaf into 6-inch long pieces. Spread cut sides of bread with butter if desired, or mustard, or both.

On the bottom slices of bread, layer sandwiches with generous portions of pickles, pork, ham, and cheese, in that order.

Place top bread slices on sandwiches, and coat both top and bottom bread slices (outer surfaces) with vegetable cooking spray.

Grill the sandwich for 4 to 5 minutes (2 to 3 minutes per side if using skillet and an iron pan for weight), or until bread is golden brown, cheese is melted, and sandwich is flattened.

Cut each sandwich on the diagonal and serve with plantain chips.

NOTE: Home cooks often have to improvise as many don't own sandwich presses. A waffle iron, panini grill, George Foreman grill, or bacon press will work. People have been known to cook the sandwich in a skillet and press it with a heated cast-iron frying pan or even a heated brick wrapped in aluminum foil.