Breaded beef cutlet pounded thin, fried, then topped with tomato sauce, ham and melted mozzarella. The Argentine ego of milanesa: cutlet plus pizza, plus more.

The dish was invented in the late 1940s at Restaurant Napoli on Bouchard, between Corrientes and Lavalle, facing Luna Park in central Buenos Aires. Owner Jorge La Grotta covered a burned milanesa with tomato, ham and cheese; the name nods to his restaurant, not to the city of Naples. By the 1960s every bodegon offered it and the porteno lunch crowd ordered it with chips and a fried egg on top (a caballo).

Where to eat Milanesa Napolitana in Buenos Aires

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Make it at home

Serves 240 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 2 thin beef cutlets (top round or eye of round), 150g each, pounded to 1cm
  • 100g flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 150g coarse breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 200ml tomato sauce (simple, garlic and oregano)
  • 4 slices cooked ham
  • 150g mozzarella, sliced
  • Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Beat the cutlets between baking paper to 1cm thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Set up three plates: flour, beaten egg mixed with grated garlic and parsley, then breadcrumbs.
  3. Dip each cutlet in flour, shake off, dip in egg, then press into breadcrumbs on both sides.
  4. Heat 1cm of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Place cutlets on a baking tray. Spoon tomato sauce over each, then top with two slices of ham and the sliced mozzarella.
  6. Grill under high heat for 3-4 minutes until cheese bubbles and edges brown. Serve immediately with chips.

Editor tip. Pound the cutlet thin (1cm); a fat milanesa is just a steak in breadcrumbs. The mozzarella should bubble and brown at the edges, not melt flat into the sauce.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg.