''Milanesa'' is a variation of the Lombard veal Milanese, or the Austrian

Wiener schnitzel Wiener schnitzel ( ; , 'Viennese cutlet'), sometimes spelled Wienerschnitzel, is a type of schnitzel made of a thin, Bread crumbs#Breading, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. It is one of the best known specialities of Viennese cuisine, and one of ...

, where generic types of

breaded cutlet Breaded cutlet or braised cutlet is a dish made from coating a cutlet of meat with breading or batter and either frying or baking it. Breaded cutlet is known as ''schnitzel'' in German-speaking countries, '' cotoletta'' in Italy, '' escalope'' ...

preparations are known as ''milanesa''. ''Milanesa'' was brought to the

Southern Cone The Southern Cone (, ) is a geographical and cultural subregion composed of the southernmost areas of South America, mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Traditionally, it covers Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, bounded on the west by the Pac ...

by Italian immigrants between 1860 and the 1920s. Its name probably reflects an original

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

ese preparation, ''cotoletta alla milanese'' (veal Milanese), which is similar to the Austrian Wiener schnitzel.

Variations

Argentina

A ''milanesa'' with added

tomato paste Tomato paste is a thick paste made from tomatoes, which are cooked for several hours to reduce water content, straining out seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. It is used to impart an i ...

mozzarella Mozzarella is a Types of cheese#Semi-soft cheese, semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the ('stretched-curd') method with origins from southern Italy. It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names: * or mozz ...

, and sometimes ham. In the 1940s, in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, ''milanesa a la napolitana'' ( and named for José Napoli's restaurant) was first made at a restaurant called Napoli, located near Estadio Luna Park, when a chef covered up a burned ''milanesa'' with cheese, ham and tomato. The dish is sometimes made out of chicken breast, ''suprema napolitana''. ''Milanesa'' is a popular dish in Argentina as in Uruguay and has been described as "one of the quintessential

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...

dishes". They are the legacy of Italian immigrants, who introduced ''

cotoletta alla milanese Veal Milanese (, ) is a popular variety of ( veal cutlet preparation) from the city of Milan, Italy. It is traditionally prepared with a veal rib chop or sirloin bone-in and made into a breaded cutlet, fried in butter. A common variation ...

'' in the late 19th century and early 20th century. During that time, Argentina experienced a huge European immigration wave, with most immigrants coming from Italy. Argentines with Italian lineage is around 60 percent. They are frequently served hot with fried or mashed potatoes; this dish is known as ''milanesa con papas fritas'' or ''milanesa con puré''. In

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, and

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

it is often topped with a fried egg, known as ''milanesa a caballo'' (), but omits the tomato sauce. They are often eaten cold as a sandwich filling, with salad. Mustard and mayonnaise are often used as seasoning.

References

{{Reflist Argentine cuisine Breaded cutlets