Ingredients
The meat and marinade
- 800 gbeef topside or nalga, cut into 8 thin slices and beaten to 5 mm
- 3eggs
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbspchopped parsley
- 1 tbspdried oregano
- 2 tspsalt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 3 tbspwhole milk
Crumb and fry
- 400 gfine dry breadcrumbs (pan rallado)
- 500 mlsunflower oil, for shallow frying
- 1lemon, in wedges
A la napolitana topping
- 200 mlthick tomato sauce, cooked with garlic and oregano
- 8 slicescooked ham
- 250 gmozzarella, sliced
- 1 tspdried oregano
To serve
- 600 gchips, or a green salad, or 2 fried eggs per person for a caballo
Directions
- Beat the slices between sheets of paper with a meat mallet or the flat of a heavy pan until an even 5 mm. Uneven milanesas fry unevenly and stay raw in the thick parts.
- Beat the eggs with the garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and milk in a wide dish. This seasoned egg bath is the Argentine step that makes the dish, and it goes in the marinade, not on the crumb.
- Submerge the meat in the egg mixture, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. The meat should taste of garlic and parsley before it is ever crumbed.
- Lift each slice out, letting excess egg drip off, and press firmly into the breadcrumbs on both sides. Press hard with the heel of your hand so the crumb bonds; a loose crumb falls off in the pan.
- Rest the crumbed milanesas on a rack for 15 minutes to set the coating.
- Heat 1 cm of oil in a wide pan to 175°C (350°F). Test with a crumb: it should sizzle briskly and rise at once.
- Fry two at a time for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep gold and crisp. Do not crowd the pan; the temperature drops and the crumb absorbs oil.
- Drain on a rack, not paper, so the underside stays crisp, and salt lightly straight away.
- For a la napolitana, lay the fried milanesas on a tray, spoon over tomato sauce, top each with ham and mozzarella and grill at 220°C (425°F) for 5–7 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and blistered. Serve with lemon and chips.
Technique
- The milanesa came with Italian immigration and became the most-eaten dish in Argentina, made at home, sold at the butcher ready-crumbed and served in every café.
- A la napolitana has nothing to do with Naples: the accepted story is that it was invented at a Buenos Aires restaurant called Nápoli in the 1940s when a burnt milanesa was covered up with tomato, ham and cheese.
- The long soak in seasoned egg is what distinguishes an Argentine milanesa from a Viennese schnitzel, which is crumbed dry and fried in clarified butter.
- Fine dry breadcrumbs, not panko. Argentine pan rallado gives a tight, sandy crust that holds the toppings.
Substitutions
- Beef is standard; chicken breast (milanesa de pollo) and veal are equally common, and aubergine slices, salted and drained, make the vegetarian version.
- No shallow frying: brush both sides with oil and bake at 220°C (425°F) on a preheated tray for 8 minutes a side, or air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes.
- Cooked ham can be left out of the napolitana for a version with just sauce and cheese.
Variations
- Milanesa a la napolitana, with tomato, ham and cheese.
- Milanesa a caballo, topped with two fried eggs.
- Milanesa completa, served with chips and a fried egg, and the sandwich version, sánguche de milanesa.
History
Breaded cutlet brought by Italian immigrants from the Milanese cotoletta, now eaten with chips, in a sandwich or under tomato and cheese.
Frequently asked questions
What is Milanesa?
Milanesa is a main from Argentina: breaded fried cutlet; a la napolitana adds ham, cheese, tomato. Breaded cutlet brought by Italian immigrants from the Milanese cotoletta, now eaten with chips, in a sandwich or under tomato and cheese.
How long does Milanesa take to make?
Milanesa takes 30 min of preparation and 20 min, plus 2 hr marinating of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Milanesa?
Yes, within limits. Beef is standard; chicken breast (milanesa de pollo) and veal are equally common, and aubergine slices, salted and drained, make the vegetarian version. No shallow frying: brush both sides with oil and bake at 220°C (425°F) on a preheated tray for 8 minutes a side, or air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes. Cooked ham can be left out of the napolitana for a version with just sauce and cheese.
What is the most important thing to get right in Milanesa?
Fry two at a time for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep gold and crisp. Do not crowd the pan; the temperature drops and the crumb absorbs oil.
