Almost everyone who comes to Argentina focuses on steaks and empanadas as the be all and end all of local cuisine. While certainly mainstays, there’s far more to local fare than just those, and one of the favorites is the milanesa. It’s a dish of Italian origin, though not necessarily of Milan, though there’s certainly a tradition of breaded meat there – the classic breaded cotoletta or scaloppine are obvious antecedents. But it’s also a dish that appears, in various forms, in many other cuisines – the Austrian wiener schnitzel, the American chicken fried steak, the Peruvian bistec empanada, the Cuban bistec empanizado, the French filete empanado, the Japanese katsu. And more….

And what’s not to love. You’ve got that golden brown, crispy coating with, if done right, just a touch of glistening oil, you’ve got the juicy meat, protected by the crust, cooked to perfection inside, and you’ve got a blank slate to bulid on, in essence, though a plain milanesa is delicious on its own. Here in Argentina the toppings have been raised to an art form.

Enter Don Ignacio, Av. Rivadavia 3439, Almagro, self proclaimed as the best milanesa, and the home of milanesas and rock music in the barrio. While not proclaimed by themselves, the place is often referred to (and Google even maps it out with the moniker) as El rey de la milanesa, The king of the milanesa. The Roving Ravenous Horde headed there for our 50th lunch outing over a mere 16 months – a fitting memoriam of our first venture, La Pulperia del Cotorro, which is also a self-proclaimed top milanesa joint.

Five of us delved into just what makes Don Ignacio one of the referential spots for this local dish. Could it be the 34 different varieties (many of them based on classic pizza toppings or empanada fillings) offered? (And that’s not including the chicken versions.) Could it be the dedication to only using nalga, a rump steak, which Norberto, the man in charge of the kitchen (I have no idea who, nor did I think to ask, who Ignacio is or was) claims is the juiciest, tenderest cut to use for a milanesa. Could it be the plethora of rock, concert, and movie memorabilia? Inquiring minds want to know and all that.

We started with a round of their famed fried empanadas. I’m going to say they’re good. They’re not amazing. The crust is tender and flaky, and perfectly golden brown. That’s a big plus, and far better than many places manage, particularly with fried empanadas. But we found the filling – ground beef, onion, green olives – to be a bit bland. It is good, but not wow.

However… wow is probably an understatement for the milanesas, which arrive soaring over the ends of each plate, huge portions that could, for the most part, be shared by two. Perfectly cooked, and, as promised, juicy on the inside and crispy and golden on the outside. Easily, easily, easily, the best milanesas that I think any of us have had in Buenos Aires.

The eponymous Don Ignacio topped with slices of ham, lightly caramelized onions, mozzarella, oregano, and a duo of fried eggs.

The Calabresa, topped with rounds of spicy longaniza sausage, garlic, tomatoes, and mozzarella.

Their much touted A la Cubana is covered with strips of bacon, mozzarella, and dried plums.

Their classic Bacon, with dark, almost chewy, roasted red peppers, strips of crispy bacon, and onions.

And, their Anchoa, a salty, umami taste bomb covered with anchovies, black olives, and mozzarella. We added thin strips of pickled Italian frying peppers to it to give it a little counterpoint to the salt, which worked beautifully.

Each milanesa comes with a guarnición, a choice of french fries (recommended – golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft inside) or mashed potatoes (not recommended, seriously, you have to add something to mashed potatoes like butter, cream, and salt, you can’t just mash them and stick them on the plate), or, for an upcharge, a mixed salad (come on, you’re having a whopping slab of breaded fried meat, do you really think some lettuce, tomato and onion is going to offset that?)

Pricing is very fair, given the quality and size – again, most people could easily split a single milanesa with fries for two – all of them run from about 300-350 pesos. Highly recommended!