Argentina

Argentine Milanesa and Chipas

Another hit!

I made this dish on Tuesday, August 11 for Andy and me. It provided a lovely distraction from my final project for grad. school (which I should be working on right now, too...). I chose to make milanesa because it is one of Argentina's national dishes. I chose the chipas because I wanted a side, and in searching Argentine side dishes, I found the recipe and it looked delicious. The sugar snap peas are not Argentine; I just needed something to make the meal a little more well-rounded.

This dish was amazing. We could not stop eating the milanesa. It tasted a lot like country fried steak. It was really simple to prepare, too. This is definitely a dish I will make again.

The chipas were incredibly easy to make; probably the simplest thing I've done so far. They are also delicious! The tapioca starch (which I found at Whole Foods) gives them a rather chewy texture. I was able to find reggianito cheese at Whole Foods, and I think that having this cheese made a difference. The original recipe did say you could use Italian cheese too, but that just didn't jive with me. I think the chipas taste like a mix between Cheez-Its and these biscuits I used to make with my cousin in my Easy Bake oven made of Bisquick and Kraft Singles. While it may not sound like it, this is a compliment. The chipas get a 10 out of 10 from me.

Here is the recipe I used, slightly modified from the original:

Argentine Milanesas

The steaks before frying

Ingredients:-2 lb. eye of the round steaks, sliced thin
-4 eggs
-flour
-Italian flavored bread crumbs
-2 T. parsley, chopped
-2 T. grated parmesan
-1/4 tsp. oregano
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Salt both sides of the meat.
2) Mix eggs with parsley, cheese, oregano and garlic.
3) Dredge meat in flour; coat well.
4) Dip meat in egg mixture; coat well.
5) Dredge meat in bread crumbs; coat well.
6) Heat vegetable oil in large skillet.
7) Fry steaks in vegetable oil, about 2 minutes per side.
8) Serve warm.

Here is the recipe I used for the chipas, slightly clarified from the original:

Chipas

Chipas prior to baking

Ingredients:
-1 egg
-2/3 c. milk
-6 oz. Argentine reggianito cheese, shredded
-3 T. butter
-1 3/4 c. tapioca starch
-1 c. flour

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
2) Stir together egg, milk, cheese and butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle in tapioca starch and flour. Stir to form a dough.
3) Knead dough for 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
4) Roll into golf ball-sized pieces and place on baking sheet.
5) Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10-15 minutes (mine actually went for 17 minutes).