Pressing your sandwich might seem like an extra and unnecessary step, but it’s actually one of the Cuban sandwich’s defining characteristics. As restaurant owner Dana Neville told Thrillist, a lot of elements can affect the texture of the bread that a Cuban sandwich is served on, but giving it a quick press turns the exterior crispy while also heating the wonderfully soft interior. Additionally, according to Neville, the best way to press a Cuban sandwich is on a plancha.
A plancha is, traditionally, a style of Spanish cooktop that is often used for grilling and searing meat and seafood. Typically, the heat is concentrated in the center to provide a variety of cooking temperatures (on the sides) for chefs to utilize, and the surface is domed slightly to allow grease to run off its sides. In the case of the Cuban sandwich, though, a plancha can simply be two flat-surface griddles that the sandwich is pressed between. A panini press is often used, too, giving the bread its signature char lines. The plancha’s flat surface usually means no char lines, but it’s still a favorite for Cuban-sandwich aficionados in cities like Tampa and Miami, where the sandwich rose to fame.
