Tortas de Milanesa (Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches) With Mexican-Style Limeade

Ingredients

For the Milanesas:

• 4 (3-to 4-ounce) chicken cutlets
• 1 cup milk
• 3 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
• 2 teaspoons paprika, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• ½–1 cup vegetable oil

For the Tortas:

• 4 bolillo or telera rolls, approximately 7 inches long
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 (12-ounce) can pickled sliced jalapeño peppers, drained, with 2 tablespoons vinegar reserved
• 1 large ripe avocado
• ½ cup mayonnaise with lime juice (or ½ cup plain mayonnaise mixed with fresh lime juice to taste)
• 4 iceberg lettuce leaves
• 8 slices Oaxaca cheese2 tomatoes, sliced
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

For the Mexican-Style Limeade:

• 8–10 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large limes, divided (2 cut in half, 2 for garnishing)
• Ice cubes

Instructions

1. 1
   Place a chicken cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer to an even ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with all the cutlets.
2. 2
   In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the cutlets, cover, and let soak for 10–15 minutes.
3. 3
   Set up three shallow bowls for coating the chicken. In the first bowl, mix the flour, 1 teaspoon of the onion powder, 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, mix the bread crumbs, remaining 1 teaspoon onion powder, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon black pepper.
4. 4
   Drain the chicken cutlets and pat them dry with paper towels. Dredge one chicken cutlet through the flour, then shake off any excess. Cover both sides with the egg, and finally place the chicken in the bread crumbs, pressing both sides to make sure it’s completely covered. Transfer to a plate. Repeat until all the cutlets are breaded. Line a large plate with paper towels.In a nonstick skillet, heat ½ cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Pan-fry two cutlets at a time for 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towels. Repeat to fry all the chicken. If needed, wipe out the skillet and add more oil between batches to get rid of any burned pieces of breading. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. 5
   Place the rolls on a rimmed baking sheet and warm them up in the oven for 5–7 minutes. Slice them in half.
6. 6
   Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the plain mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the reserved vinegar from the pickled jalapeños. If the spicy mayo is too thick, add more vinegar, a teaspoon at a time, to get your desired consistency. When ready to assemble the tortas, peel, pit, and slice the avocado. Spread 1 tablespoon lime mayo on the bottom half of each roll. Add a lettuce leaf, then 2 slices of cheese, a chicken cutlet, some tomato slices, pickled jalapeños, avocado, and finally a cilantro sprig. Top with some of the spicy mayo and close the sandwich with the top half of the roll.
7. 7
   For the limeade: Combine 2 cups of the water and the sugar in a blender and blend for 15 seconds, or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the 2 halved limes and blend for 4–5 seconds. Strain the mixture into a pitcher, add another 6–8 cups water, and mix well. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Add lots of ice and garnish with lime slices.