Cuisine

THE MILANESA

The milanesa is a common meat dish mostly in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay as well as in other American countries to a lesser extent, such as Mexico, where breaded meat fillet preparations are known as a milanesa (In Portuguese, the beef version is called bife à milanesa and the chicken version is called frango à milanesa).


Homemade milanesas.The milanesa was brought to the Southern Cone of South America from Central European immigrants, its name reflecting the original Milanese preparation cotoletta alla milanese, which is similar to the Austrian wiener schnitzel.

A milanesa consists of a thin slice of beef, or sometimes chicken or veal. Each slice is dipped into beaten eggs, seasoned with salt, and other condiments according to the cook's taste (like parsley and garlic). Each slice is then dipped in breadcrumbs (or occasionally flour) and shallow-fried in oil, one at a time. Some people prefer to use very little oil and then cook them in the oven as a healthier alternative.