Milanesa

Milanesa (Spanish for "Milanese") is a form of breaded cutlet that is mainly associated with the Southern Cone and the Río de la Plata region. Although known throughout Latin American cuisine, it is closely tied to the cuisine of Argentina, where it is considered a quintessential national dish and a cultural mainstay. Milanesa is a derivative of cotoletta alla milanese, an Italian dish typical of the city of Milan in which a bone-in rib of veal is used, which is breaded and fried in clarified butter. The original recipe disseminated to other nations via the Italian diaspora, which in Argentina constituted the largest immigrant community in the country as part of a massive wave of European immigration from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Argentine milanesas are typically made with lean, boneless cuts of beef, although chicken, pork and fish milanesas are also common, as well as vegetarian varieties such as eggplant or legumes like soy beans and chickpeas. It is estimated that Argentines consume milanesas an average of three times weekly, totaling 300 million kilograms annually, equivalent to a per capita consumption of 11.4 kilograms (25 lb) per year. A popular variation originating in Buenos Aires is the milanesa napolitana (Neapolitan), which is topped with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese, and, according to popular belief, was invented in the 1940s when a cook sought to conceal a burnt milanesa. Milanesas are also commonly served in a sandwich (sánguche de milanesa), a preparation that has become emblematic in the province of Tucumán, where it has been officially recognized as part of the province's cultural heritage. Since 2011, milanesa has been celebrated annually in Argentina on 3 May as "National Milanesa Day", an observance that originated as a social media initiative.