Milanesa (Mexican Breaded Steaks)

This is an authentic Mexican recipe that I got from my mother-in-law. My husband loves these steaks. His mother served them with mashed potatoes and a salad of lettuce and cucumbers dressed with lime juice and salt. You can also make some killer Milanesa sandwiches topped with refried beans, lettuce, queso fresco, tomato, jalapenos, and mexican cream, which is something that is on many menus at Mexican restaurants.

Here is what you will need:
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 thin steaks
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy pan. While waiting for the oil to heat, sprinkle each steak with salt and pepper. Pound out the steaks until they are super thin.

Dredge each steak in egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Put each steak directly in the hot oil. Don't prepare the steaks until you are ready to fry them as this will make the breadcrumbs soggy.

Depending on how big your steaks are, you may need to do one at a time. Cook until brown on each side, approximately 4 minutes per side.
Remove the steaks to a plate lined with paper towels. This makes enough for three people.

Hamburger Steaks and Mushroom Gravy

This is my absolute favorite meal! I love hamburger steaks and this is my very easy version of mushroom gravy. It also happens to be the most tasty version that I have ever come up with. This is comfort food at its best. I hope that everyone else will enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Here is what you will need:
1 pound of ground chuck made out into quarter pound patties
1 medium onion , sliced into half rings
4 cups sliced white mushrooms
6 tablespoons brown gravy mix
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon margarine

In a large, heavy pan, cook the hamburger patties over medium-high heat. 

Meanwhile slice  the medium onion into half rings. Also slice the white mushrooms. You should have 4 cups of mushrooms once they are sliced. I bought two packages of the whole mushrooms at the store. Of course you can buy them sliced, but they cost a little bit more so I usually buy them whole.

Once the hamburger patties are completely cooked on both sides, remove them to a clean plate. Add the margarine to the rendered fat that is in the pan. If you use a good ground chuck, there should not be that much fat in the pan. The margarine gives a better flavor to the gravy and is not quite so cholesterol unfriendly. Once the margarine is melted, add in the half onion rings and saute them until they just begin to turn translucent. 

At that time, add in the mushrooms and drizzle the soy sauce over the mushrooms. Cook these on medium heat until the mushrooms are done, about 8 minutes. 

Now make a hole in the middle by moving around the mushrooms and onions. Add the 6 tablespoons of brown gravy mix to the pan in the little hole that you made. Immediately add 2 cups of hot water and begin to whisk the brown gravy mix around. Whisk it until there are no more lumps; usually there are no problems with lumps as the gravy mix is made to dissolve.

Now add the hamburger patties back to the pan and simmer over medium low heat until bubbly and thick.

This will make enough for 2 hungry people. In my opinion, these hamburger steaks must be served with mashed potatoes. That is why I make so much extra gravy with these. There must be plenty of gravy for the mash potatoes!