Italian immigrants brought the breaded cutlet to Argentina, and Argentina took it to heart with a devotion that has never wavered. The milanesa, a slice of beef pounded thin, dipped in egg seasoned with garlic and parsley and coated in breadcrumbs, is eaten at home several times a week, and when it goes into a roll it becomes the sándwich de milanesa, sold at kiosks, bus stations and stadium stalls across the country. Tucumán in the north is famous for enormous ones; Buenos Aires is happy with any of them.

It is the ideal grandstand food: it travels wrapped in paper, tastes nearly as good cold, and can be held in one hand while the other points at the track. The garlic in the egg wash is the quiet Argentine signature, so do not skip it.

The milanesas

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) beef top round
• 2 large eggs
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil

The sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 soft rolls
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 4 large lettuce leaves
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 lemon

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