Milanesas are simple but delicious, and found across Argentina - a thin slice of marinated beef, fried in hot oil and served with a variety of accompaniments. Every Argentine will tell you that the best milanesas are found at home cooked by their mothers! The dish is similar to an Austrian schnitzel but the roots of the milanesa stem’s back to Italy and more specifically Milan and the famous “Cotoletta alla Milanese”. The most simple version is served with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a side of creamy mashed potatoes or french fries, but it can often be served a caballo (on horseback) where a fried egg is served on top of the meat or a milanesa a la napolitana, which has a topping of tomato salsa, ham, and mozzarella cheese.
Serves 6
900g rump beef, thinly sliced (1 cm thick)
2 eggs, beaten
450g breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Salt and Pepper
Slice the beef into cm thick steaks.
Cut off all the fat and trim the cutlets.
Tenderise the meat with a mallet until it is half a cm thick.
Whisk the eggs with chopped garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
Marinade the meat in the egg mixture for at least half an hour, storing them in the fridge during the process.
Pour the oil into a deep frying pan and heat it up until a cube of bread dropped in starts to fry immediately.
Coat the beef in breadcrumbs and fry them on both sides and then place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
* They are traditionally served with a mixture of the following; french fries, mash potato, green salad, coleslaw or in a bread roll with tomatoes, lettuce and mustard.