Don’t scream, Miami: The best Cuban sandwich in the country comes with avocado
Does the best roasted pork sandwich in the United States come topped with avocado?
It does, according to Restaurant Hospitality.
The website, which covers industry trends, news and information for restaurant owners, operators and chefs, has just released its Best Sandwiches in America 2020 list. On it are wraps and breakfast bagels, fancy grilled cheeses — one with lobster, another with ramen — and fried chicken sandwiches, a concoction which apparently nobody is ever going to get sick of.
And there, nestled among the winners, is a roasted pork sandwich, spilling over with avocado, lauded as the Best Cubano in the land.
And here you thought the worst insult a Cuban sandwich could face was salami.
The notorious winner, which was also an Editors’ Pick, comes from Havana 1957, a tourist-friendly brand with five locations around Miami-Dade. At each Havana 1957, chefs are allowed to create a personal take on the roast pork favorite.
So the bold Marco Tovar at Havana 1957 on Española Way in Miami Beach dreamed up this winner made of diced pork masitas, Swiss cheese, pickled onions, chicharrónes, avocado and grilled red pepper on Cuban bread.
Understanding the sensitive nature of Cuban sandwich fans in Miami, Havana 1957 calls Tovar’s creation a Roasted Pork Sandwich.
Restaurant Hospitality has no such chill.
“This sandwich has several distinctive elements that separate it from the growing pack of Cubanos now available in restaurants across the country,” wrote the website, which chose its winners from submissions. “That includes the pork, which is marinated, roasted, cut into squares and then browned in oil to make it crisp. The onion is marinated for at least two hours with orange, lime and habanero pepper to add sweet-and-spicy elements to the sandwich, which also has creaminess from the avocado and soft textural elements from the Swiss cheese and roasted red pepper.”
You can try this marinated marvel for $17. Yes, we know you can get a great Cuban sandwich for less at any number of places, such as El Exquisito on Calle Ocho or the Latin American Cafe in West Miami. But you’ll have to bring your own avocado.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 12:17 PM.