Bife à Milanesa

Bife à Milanesa is a dish that says “home" very loudly to me. This has been my favourite dish since I was a child. The quality and the freshness of the beef and the eggs matters for this dish. When picking the minute steaks at the store avoid anyone with brownish or greenish spots. It is also better if the steaks were cut “against the grain”, i.e. in a way that sections long muscle fibres. This dish is best if served as soon as it is finished. But it also tastes delicious as a cold snack or in a sandwich the next day.

I speculate that this dish is an influence of the Italians that migrate to the South of Brazil in the mid 1870s.

Ingredients:

 

• 6 minute steaks
• 2 (or 3) large eggs
• bread crumbs
• salt
• finely ground pepper (black or white)
• canola oil
• butter
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley

Procedure:

 

1. Prep the steaks
   • Start when you are ready to proceed to the completion of the dish.
   • If the steaks are very large, cut them in two or three pieces to make them easier to sautee.
   • Pound each steak individually with a meat mallet.
   • Mix a small amount of ground pepper in the salt.
   • Sprinkle a bit of the salt and pepper mixture in each stake, piling the next steak on top of the previous one until you are done.
2. Prepare the egg wash
   • Choose platters that are large enough to enable you to work comfortably with the steaks. In one platter spread dry, finely ground, toasted bread crumbs.
   • Break the eggs in the other platter, add a large pinch of salt, a small pinch of pepper, the finely chopped parsley, and a tablespoon of water.
   • Beat the eggs until they are well mixed, but not very foamy.
3. Cook the steaks
   • Heat up a large heavy-bottom pan (you want it fairly hot, but not smoking)
   • Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan.
   • Add a small amount of butter.
   • Working quickly, dip both sides of each steak in the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess.
   • Coat both sides of the steak with the egg wash and place in the hot oil and butter.
   • Cook for about 2 minutes in one side, turn and cook for another minute or two.
   • Watch your fire as you cook the steaks so that you pan does not become too hot or too cold.
   • If you are preparing a large amount of steaks, as you finish each batch you can place them in a warmed plate in a 200 F oven, until you have finished them all.