Elena Ruz Sandwich

By Christina Morales

Published Nov. 24, 2021

Elena Ruz Sandwich
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Getteline Rene.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(826)
Comments
Read comments

During the late 1920s or early 1930s, the Cuban socialite Elena Ruz Valdés-Fauli asked for a sandwich with turkey, strawberry preserves and cream cheese in a soft medianoche roll at El Carmelo restaurant in Havana. The sandwich was an original request — it didn’t yet exist on menus in Cuba — but it eventually became something of a beloved national dish. Like other popular Cuban dishes, it combines the sweet and the salty. Some Cuban chefs say that it lends itself to adaptation and experimentation with other jams and sandwich meats. It’s best enjoyed with plantain chips and a Cuban soda, such as Materva or Ironbeer.

Featured in: A Socialite Invented This Quintessential Cuban Sandwich

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Ingredients

Yield:1 sandwich
  • 1Cuban medianoche roll or a brioche hot dog roll (5 to 6 inches long)
  • 2tablespoons cream cheese, softened, plus more as needed
  • 3½ounces sliced turkey breast
  • 1½tablespoons strawberry preserves, plus more as needed (see Tip)
  • ½teaspoon unsalted butter
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

120 calories; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 94 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice or split the bread roll in half to fill as a sandwich. Spread a ⅓-inch-thick layer of cream cheese on the bottom half. Lay turkey neatly on top of the cream cheese. Do not overfill the sandwich. Evenly spread jam on the top half of the bread and sandwich with the bottom.

  2. Step 2

    In a pan over medium-low heat, melt butter, swirling to evenly coat the pan. Place the sandwich bottom side down in the pan and press it with a spatula or a cast-iron skillet. Heat to warm the sandwich, until the bottom is lightly toasted but not burned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the sandwich and repeat with the other side. Remove from the heat, cut the sandwich in half at an angle and serve immediately.

Tip
  • If you have leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, feel free to substitute for the preserves. You can also swap in guava jam for the strawberry preserves.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
826 user ratings
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Comments

Juarroz

Actually, the cranberry sauce taste (which I enjoy) would be repellant in this sandwich. Why is it so hard for readers to try the recipe--then post comments--instead of just coming up with entirely new recipes to (cough) share.

Melissa

So excited to see this recipe! On a visit to Miami several years ago, a friend, who’s Cuban, took me to a little sandwich joint in Hialeah and they had this sandwich. I thought, “Turkey with cream cheese and… strawberries? But that is unusual enough that I bet it’s awesome.” And it was. So so good and I am going to make this ASAP.

Anut

Strawberry? No. Cranberry sauce, yes!

K Smits

I made it exactly as described (on a brioche hamburger bun) thinking that I would eat half. Nope! Ate the whole thing! This is going into the rotation!

Westchester Peach

Trust, people. It is perfect.

Paul G.

I've had "Cuban" sandwiches before, I like them a lot actually. Usually on Focaccia bread, pork, mustard and pickles is the basic. This one seems an odd combination to me.

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