Cubano Chicken with Mustard Sauce

The first time I ever tasted a Cuban Sandwich was in NY.  I don't know if it was the best I'd ever had, but at the time I remember thinking where had that sandwich been all my life.  Now, I try them whenever I can.

Traditionally Cuban Sandwiches are pulled pork, ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles and mustard.  I've had sandwiches that do a spin on those ingredients and have not been disappointed.

This recipe is no different. First it's an open faced sandwich, which is good because it's a lot of food. Second, it calls for chicken instead of pork.  I'm not a HUGE pork fan (or rather pork isn't a fan of me) so this swap made this sandwich possible for me.

It's an easy recipe, and can be done without much knowledge of cooking.  Note though, it does say to marinate the chicken for 15 minutes, don't go much beyond that. The acid in the lime juice will make the chicken icky if it goes much further (Learned that lesson the hard way in another recipe).  Longer does not impart more flavor in this case.

Cubano Chicken with Mustard Sauce
Recipe from Cuisine at Home

Photo courtesy of Cuisine at Home

Makes 4

1/4 c fresh lime juice
2 T grated lime zest (um, don't be like me and squeeze the limes first and then try to zest them. Zest the limes, then juice them...its easier)
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
2T honey
1 T minced red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
4 pieces thinly sliced ham
1/2 c grated Swizz cheese
1/4 c milk
3T prepared yellow mustard
2T mayo
1T dill pickle relish
4 baguette slices, cut 1 inch thick on the bias
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Whisk together lime juice, zest, oil, hone, onion, garlic and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Pound chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet (or slice the chicken breasts in half length wise - and pound out the thicken end so it's all one thickness). Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Jenn note: I actually didn't refrigerate it. I wanted my chicken to be closer to room temp for BBQing, so I left it on the counter while it marinaded.  I put it in a ziploc and flipped the bag once.

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Remove chicken and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over direct heat for 4 minutes. Flip chicken; top each with a piece of ham and 2 T of cheese. Grill  for another 4 or 5 minutes until the chicken is done. Remove from heat and let stand.

While chicken is grilling, in a small saucepan, whisk the milk, mustard, mayo and pickle relish for the sauce. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes until it's warm.

Coat bread with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast bread on the grill until it's golden brown.

Serve chicken over grilled bread, drizzled with mustard sauce. Pass the napkins.