Milanesa de Res

Ingredients

• 700 g (1½ lb) top round, cut into 4 thin steaks
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 70 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
• 150 g (1½ cups) fine dry breadcrumbs
• About 250 ml (1 cup) neutral oil, for frying
• Lime wedges, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and avocado, to serve

Steps

1. Place each steak between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or rolling pin to 5 mm (¼ in) thick, working from the centre out.
2. Rub the steaks with garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
3. Set up three shallow dishes: flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs. Dredge each steak in flour and shake off the excess.
4. Dip in egg, letting the extra drip off, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs so they coat the whole surface. Rest on a rack for 5 minutes so the coating sticks.
5. Heat about 1 cm (½ in) of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a breadcrumb sizzles at once. This is pan-frying.
6. Fry the steaks one or two at a time for 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Do not crowd the pan, or the oil cools and the coating turns greasy.
7. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Serve right away with lime, lettuce, tomato and avocado.

Notes

• Torta: tuck a milanesa into a bolillo roll with refried beans, avocado, pickled jalapeños and cheese.
• Even thickness: thin, even steaks cook through in the time it takes to brown, so do not skimp on pounding. Pounding also tenderises this lean cut.
• Oven option: bake on a rack at 220°C (425°F) for 12 minutes, turning once, and spray with oil.
• Air fryer: spray the breaded cutlets with oil and air-fry in a preheated 200°C (400°F) basket, single layer, 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and cooked through.
• Freezer: freeze breaded raw cutlets on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before frying.
• Twist: for milanesa a la napolitana, top each fried cutlet with 1 tbsp tomato sauce and a slice of mozzarella, then grill until bubbling, 2–3 minutes.