Milanesa

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Rest the crumbed milanesas on a rack for 15 minutes to set the coating.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Drain on a rack, not paper, so the underside stays crisp, and salt lightly straight away.
9. 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.