Milanesa Napolitana

Milanesa Napolitana

An Argentine bistro classic: a thin breaded beef cutlet topped with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese, served until the cheese bubbles and the edges crisp. Comparable to an Italian-American chicken parmigiana, but with beef and a thinner, crispier crust.

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 pieces beef cutlets (eye of round or top round), about 120 g / 4 oz each, pounded to ~5 mm / ¼ inch thick
• •2 whole large eggs
• •60 g (½ cup) plain breadcrumbs, fine, dry Argentine-style if available
• •40 g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, fine sea salt
• •2 g (½ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •2 g (1 tsp) dried oregano
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) neutral oil, for frying, sunflower or canola; enough for a 5 mm / ¼ inch layer in the pan
• •400 g (14 oz) tomato sauce (salsa de tomate), crushed or puréed ripe tomato simmered with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tsp sugar, salt, and dried oregano for 15 minutes; see steps
• •1 whole small onion, finely chopped, for the sauce
• •1 whole garlic clove, crushed, for the sauce
• •1 g (¼ tsp) sugar, optional, to balance acidity
• •4 slices cooked ham (jamón cocido), thin, ~3 mm; standard sandwich ham
• •200 g (7 oz) mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated; provolone or a muzza-provolone mix is also traditional
• •2 g (1 tsp) dried oregano, for finishing
• •1 whole lemón, cut into wedges, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Make the salsa de tomate: warm 1 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat (about 160 °C / 320 °F). Cook the chopped onion with a pinch of salt for 6–7 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the crushed garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the crushed tomato, oregano, sugar and salt to taste. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened; adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
2. 2 Set up a breading station: one dish with flour seasoned with salt, pepper and half the oregano; a second bowl with the eggs beaten with a pinch of salt; a third dish with the breadcrumbs mixed with the remaining oregano.
3. 3 Pat the pounded cutlets dry with paper towels. Dredge each cutlet in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip in beaten egg, letting the excess drip off, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs so the coating adheres evenly on both sides. Rest on a tray for 5 minutes so the crust sets.
4. 4 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to about 175 °C / 350 °F (a breadcrumb should sizzle immediately). Fry the milanesas one at a time, without crowding, for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. The thin beef cooks in this time; the safe internal temperature for beef is 63 °C / 145 °F with a 3-minute rest.
5. 5 Drain the cutlets on a wire rack (not paper towels, which soften the crust) and keep warm on a tray in a low oven at 90 °C / 200 °F while you finish the others.
6. 6 Heat the oven broiler / grill to high (about 230 °C / 450 °F) with a rack in the upper third.
7. 7 Assemble on a parchment-lined sheet pan or in an oven-safe dish: place each milanesa on the tray, spoon about 2–3 tbsp of the warm tomato sauce over the top, leaving a thin border of crust exposed, lay a slice of ham over the sauce, then cover generously with mozzarella and a pinch of oregano.
8. 8 Broil 6–10 cm / 2–4 inches from the element for 3–5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling in spots and just starting to brown. Do not let the crust burn.
9. 9 Serve immediately, straight from the pan or transferred to plates, with lemon wedges on the side. Classic accompaniments are French fries, a simple green salad, or mashed potatoes.