Argentinian cuisine is distinct from other Latin American cuisines because it more closely resembles French or Italian food rather than the beans and rice fair that you see in other South American nations.
Because there is a rather small indigenous population in the country, the food traditions are transplants from Western Europe. While there are various regional variations, milanesa (breaded cutlets or schnitzels) can be found in sandwiches and dinner plates everywhere.
Beef
Argentinians take their beef seriously. Argentina consumes about 150 pounds of beef a year per capita. The highest in the world. That's almost two quarter pounders a day.
In 2006, it was estimated that the nation's cattle raisers, gauchos, had somewhere between 50 and 55 million head of cattle. Quite a few more than the handful of cattle Pedro de Mendoza brought to the nation in 1536 thanks to the expansive pasture land, and modern transportation systems.
For this dish, veal is the recommended meat of choice, but chicken would work just as well.
Veal Milanesa
Ingredients
- 4 veal steaks, pounded thin
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 4 thin slices deli ham
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 4 eggs to be fried
- Salt and pepper
Procedure
- Pound the steaks with a meat mallet until they are a quarter of an inch thin. Wrapping them in plastic wrap beforehand will reduce the amount of meat shrapnel they sprays all over the kitchen.
- Coat the steaks in flour, then beaten egg, and then breadcrumbs. The easiest way to do this is too set up three bowls leading up to your skillet. In the first one dump your flour, in the middle one whisk your eggs, and in the third dump your crumbs. Make sure to season each of these with salt and pepper.
- One way to stay clean during this process is to only use one hand to move the meat from one bowl to the other. That way you have a clean hand to use for turning meat in the frying pan or answering the phone if someone calls.
- Preheat a skillet with oil to medium. Fry each cutlet for 3-4 minutes on a side until browned.
- Place a slice of ham and a slice of the cheese on top of each cutlet and cook until the cheese melts.
- Once the cheese has melted, top each cutlet with a fried egg. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley and a little drizzle of chimichurri sauce.
My friend Teresita recommended to serve this with a glass of wine and some tango music for the perfect romantic evening.
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