Milanesa napolitana is a traditional Argentine dish originating from Buenos Aires. It consists of a milanesa steak that’s breaded, fried, then topped with a slice of ham, tangy tomato sauce, and thick slices of mozzarella, which will melt under the broiler.
It is typically served with french fries on the side. If there are any leftovers, they can be used to make delicious sandwiches called sánguche de milanesa. Milanesa napolitana was supposedly invented in the 1930s or 1940s in a restaurant called Nápoli, hence the name.
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WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF MILANESA NAPOLITANA?
The origin of milanesa a la napolitana begins with milanesa, a recipe itself inspired by an Italian dish, cotoletta alla Milanese. The latter was also exported to Austria, under the name of Wiener schnitzel (Viennese cutlet).
Milanesa appeared in Argentina between 1860 and 1920, during the strong wave of immigration from Europe and especially from Italy to Latin America. Italian gastronomy was immediately appreciated and adopted by the South Americans, who hastened to adapt it with local ingredients and preparation methods.
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This is how the cotoletta alla Milanese, a dish from Milan, in Lombardy, became one of the favorite dishes of the Argentines who renamed it milanesa in Spanish. Their love for it is such that on May 3, the “National Day of Milanesa” is celebrated across the country.
The version of milanesa a la napolitana is entirely Argentinian and has nothing to do with the city of Naples in Italy. It was born in Buenos Aires in the 1940s in the kitchens of a small restaurant called Nápoli.