Adding another delicious sandwich option to your weekly menu is never a bad idea. A Cuban-style steak sandwich uses tender steak marinated in a tasty combination of fresh parsley, cilantro, oregano, lime juice, and garlic oil and topped with fresh tomatoes, grilled peppers, horseradish mayo, and the best part - shoestring potatoes!
Enjoy this Cuban-style steak sandwich on panini style sandwich or as a fresh lettuce wrap! Making this meal adaptable to be gluten free, dairy free and low FODMAP! So much flexibility for various diets. Everyone gets to try it!
It is no secret we love Cuban-style sandwiches in our lives. Whether it is a variety of Pan con Bistec (Cuban Steak Sandwich) or the pork version - we are BIG fans. The other Cuban sandwich in our life has tender, slow-cooked pork, deli ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard. It is also delicious! Try both and report back which one is your favorite!
Ingredients
Marinade | Sauce Ingredients
- Garlic Infused Olive Oil - Adds the best flavor without garlic!
- Avocado Oil - A high heat tolerance oil for the Blackstone.
- Fresh Cilantro - A fresh, flavorful herb.
- Fresh Parsley - Another fresh herb.
- Dried Oregano - Adds another layer of spice depth.
- Lime Juice - Fresh lime juice is best!
- Kosher Salt - To bring some balance to all the flavors.
Sandwich | Wraps Ingredients
- Top Sirloin - One of the best steak options for this sandwich.
- Bell Peppers - In place of the traditional onions to make this a great low FODMAP option. It also adds beautiful colors to your meal!
- Lettuce - Iceberg Lettuce for the wraps, Romaine for the sandwiches.
- French Bread - For Sandwiches.
- Shoestring Potatoes - Adds the best crunch and flavor and gluten-free!
- Marinade - Blended and divided into two containers. One for meat and one for sandwiches.
- Mayo - This creates a horseradish mayo spread for the sandwich and wraps.
- Horseradish Sauce - Added to the mayo to add some spice and flavor.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions. Selected ingredients are based on current serving sizes measured by the Monash FODMAP App at the time of publishing. As always, follow your gut and modify as needed.
Jump to RecipeInstructions for Marinade and Sauce
In a small food processor or blender, add the oils, cilantro, parsley, oregano, lime juice, and salt.
Chop until all the herbs are blended, and everything is combined. It will smell delicious! Set aside ½ cup for the steak marinade and keep the rest as a sauce for sandwiches or lettuce wraps. Discard any marinade that touches the raw steak.
Instructions for Steak and Peppers
Slice the steak into strips. Remove any fat, gristle, and silver membranes. None of that is very much fun to eat.
Place the steak strips in a plastic bag or airtight container. Next, add ½ cup of the marinade to the steak. Massage the marinade so the steak is covered. Allow the marinade to do its thing for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. No longer than 24 hours, or the meat will start to break down.
Preheat the Blackstone to medium-high heat. Once preheated, add the marinated steak to one side of the Blackstone griddle top. With a large metal spatula, spread out all the strips of steak into a single layer. Leave them be and allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes for medium well. If you like your steak rare, cook for 2-3 minutes.
Chop the bell peppers into strips. Make sure there is no white membrane on any of the strips. It is bitter and not great tasting.
On the other side of the griddle, add one tablespoon of oil. Avocado oil is best for the high heat on the Blackstone. Spread the oil out and add the chopped-up bell peppers to the oil. Let them cook until they start to caramelize. Once cooked, remove the steak and the peppers to a platter and set aside.
Next, choose the serving option that best fits your needs.
Sandwich Instructions
Slice the French bread in half and then in half the long way again. Essentially creating two large hoagie-size slices.
Create the horseradish mayo. Add mayo and horseradish to a small bowl and stir until combined. If you love horseradish, add another teaspoon of it to your small bowl.
Spread the leftover marinade that did not touch the raw steak on half of the French bread. Use a marinade brush to be fancy, or a spoon will work too.
On the other half of the French bread, spread the spicy mayo.
On the marinade side of the French bread, add the steak to the French bread. Pile the steak on as much as your heart desires.
On top of the steak, add the cooked bell peppers.
Slice a tomato, and add the slices to the sandwich. Garden fresh tomatoes are the best!
Next, pile on the lettuce. Or skip the lettuce if you are more of a steak person and not a veggie person.
Pour the shoestring potatoes on the mayo side of your sandwich. The mayo will help hold the shoestring potatoes to the sandwich. Then you will get a little crunch in every bite.
On a preheated medium high heat add your sandwich to the Blackstone and press down with the press to create a panni-style sandwich. Feel free to use a cast iron pan or a foil-wrapped brick if you do not have a press. I am a big fan of making what you have work! Unless you want to go shopping for all the fun tools, I love that plan too!
Cut the sandwich in half again, and serve right away!
Instructions for Lettuce Wrap Option
Peel off large sections of iceberg lettuce. Wash and pat dry with paper towels. Lay down a large piece of wax paper and pile the sections of iceberg lettuce on top of that.
Add a tablespoon or two of the marinade to the center of the lettuce. Do not use the marinade that was in the steak. Use the reserved marinade.
Next, add the sliced tomatoes and bell peppers.
Pile on the steak next. Not too much, or it won’t all fit inside the lettuce wrap.
Now would be a great time if you want to add some horseradish spicy mayo. Next, add the shoestring potatoes. Again this will help hold the shoestring potatoes in the wrap.
Pull in all the lettuce leaves, then the wax paper, flip the lettuce wrap over, and slice in half. It can be messy, but that is part of the fun! Just grab a fork, and now it is a salad!
Variations
- Bread Options - Ideally, a loaf of Cuban bread is the perfect option. However, if you live in the boondocks... You may have to improvise. Italian bread or French bread are great options.
- Steak Options - Flank steak, palomilla steaks are other great choices.
- Cheese - If you are not dairy free, adding a slice of Swiss cheese or pepperjack cheese would be delicious.
Substitutions
- Lime Juice - If you don’t have limes but have lemons, you can use lemon juice in its place.
- Shoestring Potatoes - Cannot find shoestring potatoes or potato sticks, replace them with crushed-up potato chips.
- Bell Peppers - If you want to remake the original version of pan con bistec (Cuban steak sandwich), caramelize onions in the place of bell peppers.
Storage
Store any leftover steak and bell peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the steak and peppers in the microwave or a frying pan on the stovetop. Build another sandwich with any leftover bread or a wrap with lettuce.
Meal Planning
The Cuban-style steak sandwich is best served with french fries, roasted tiny potatoes, or pasta salad. Or keep it simple and serve it with some potato chips and fresh fruit for a quick summer meal.
FAQs
Use two frying pans, one for the steak and one for the bell peppers. If you have a cast iron pan, that would also work beautifully.
No panini press, no problem. Use foil-wrapped bricks, the heaviest frying pan you have. Place the steak sandwich in a frying pan and preheat the brick or the large skillet until warm. Then top the sandwich and press.
Cuban-Style Steak Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients:
- ½ cup Garlic Infused Olive Oil
- ½ cup Avocado Oil
- 1 cup Fresh Cilantro
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ cup Lime Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
-
Sandwich or Wrap Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds Sirloin Steak
- 2 Bell Peppers
- 1 Loaf French Bread
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ½ cup Mayo
- 1 teaspoon Horseradish Sauce
- 1 Head Iceberg Lettuce
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 cup Shoestring Potatoes
Instructions
Marinade Instructions:
- In a small food processor or blender, add the oils, cilantro, parsley, oregano, lime juice, and salt.
- Chop until all the herbs are blended, and everything is combined. It will smell delicious! Set aside ½ cup for the steak marinade and keep the rest as a sauce for sandwiches or lettuce wraps.
Steak and Peppers Instructions:
- Slice the steak until it strips. Remove any fat, grisly, and silver membranes.
- Place the steak strips in a plastic bag or airtight container. Next, add ½ cup of the marinade to the steak. Massage the marinade so the steak is covered. Allow the marinade to do its thing for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. No longer than 24 hours, or the meat will start to break down.
- On a large cutting board and a sharp knife, chop the bell peppers into strips
- Preheat the Blackstone to medium-high heat. Once preheated, add the marinated steak to one side of the Blackstone griddle top. With a large metal spatula, spread out all the steak strips into a single layer. Leave them be and allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes for medium well. If you like your steak rare, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- On the other side of the griddle, add one tablespoon of oil. Avocado oil is best for the high heat. Spread the oil out and add the chopped-up bell peppers to the oil. Let them cook until they start to caramelize. Once cooked, remove the steak and the peppers to a platter and set aside.
Sandwich Instructions:
- Slice the French bread in half and then in half the long way again. Essentially creating two large hoagie-size slices of bread.
- In a small bowl, add the mayo and horseradish. Stir until combined.
- Spread the leftover marinade that did not touch the raw steak on half of the French bread. On the other half of the French bread, spread the spicy mayo.
- On the marinade side of the French bread, add the steak to the French bread. On top of the steak, add the cooked bell peppers.
- Slice a tomato, and add to the sandwich. Next, pile on the lettuce. Or skip the lettuce if you are more of a steak person and not a veggie person.
- Pour the shoestring potatoes on the mayo side of your sandwich. The mayo will help hold the shoestring potatoes to the sandwich. Then you will get a little crunch in every bite.
- On a preheated medium high heat add your sandwich to the Blackstone and press down with the press to create a panni-style sandwich. Feel free to use a cast iron pan or a foil-wrapped brick if you do not have a press.
- Cut the sandwich in half again, and serve right away!
Lettuce Wrap Instructions:
- Peel off large sections of iceberg lettuce. Wash and pat dry with paper towels. Lay down a large piece of wax paper and pile the sections of iceberg lettuce on top of that.
- Add a tablespoon or two of the marinade to the center of the lettuce. Do not use the marinade that was in the steak. Use the reserved marinade. Next, add the sliced tomatoes and bell peppers.
- Pile on the steak next. Not too much, or it won’t all fit inside the lettuce wrap.
- In a small bowl, add the mayo and horseradish. Stir until combined. Add some horseradish mayo to your lettuce wrap.
- Next, add the shoestring potatoes. Again this will help hold the shoestring potatoes in the wrap.
- Pull in all the lettuce leaves, then the wax paper, flip the lettuce wrap over, and slice in half. It can be messy, but that is part of the fun! Just grab a fork, and now it is a salad!
Notes
Nutrition Information
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