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Recipe: Bife á Milanesa (Steak Parmigiana)

No matter the man in our extended family—it could be my husband or son-in-law—Bife á Milanesa is always requested for ordinary days and special days alike! by Kelly Minter

No matter the man in our extended family—it could be my husband or son-in-law—Bife á Milanesa is always requested for ordinary days and special days alike! It was also a favorite of my father’s for many years.

Ingredients 

Sauce

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large basil leaves, julienned

Steak

  • 3 pounds sirloin steaks, thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 5 eggs
  • 2-3 cups breadcrumbs, plain
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 12-15 slices Provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS

  1. TO MAKE SAUCE: Using a saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent over medium-high heat. Add the green bell pepper and sauté for another five minutes until the pepper is slightly tender. 
  2. Add garlic, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, and let cook for about an hour over medium heat.
  3. When ready, add one tablespoon of butter and the julienned basil leaves. Set aside.
  4. TO MAKE STEAKS: Season the steaks with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the steaks between plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to tenderize. (Legend has it that restaurants would pound the beef into almost translucent sheets to make them larger and more tender.)
  5. In three bowls or plastic containers, set up the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
  6. To bread the beef, start by dredging the steaks in flour and shaking off the excess. Next dip them into the whisked egg allowing the excess wash to drip off before finally placing the steaks in the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the meat and pile the steaks on a plate.
  7. On high heat, fry the steaks in canola oil until golden brown. Set them on a tray over paper towels to drain, and cover with half a slice of Provolone cheese while still warm. Pour the homemade tomato sauce over the steaks and serve with rice.

Food photography © Stephanie Mullins with styling by Teresa Blackburn. Excerpted with permission from A Place at the Table by Kelly Minter. Copyright 2019, B&H Publishing Group.

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