In just a few words — one quick sentence — Gerardo Martinez solved an age-old culinary mystery.
The best tamale, the best posole, the best Mexican comfort foods are rarely found in large, fancy restaurants. They can plaster “Authentic” on signs and menus all they want, dishes prepared at such places still leave a disappointed vale. No, for a truly satisfying dish, one must visit a street cart or little tacqueria like La Fiesta Restaurant in Lakeport.
“In here it’s real tomatoes, real salsa — no cans,” Martinez explained.
Simply put, those preparing homey meals refuse to take shortcuts or look for marginal discounts in food costs. They just cook from scratch with good ingredients and a willingness to put in the necessary time, every day. The results fill one’s soul.
But there may be no answer to another little riddle. Why do so few restaurants serve Milanesa?
Thin cuts of beef, breaded and fried to an inviting hearthstone hue, it is a relatively straightforward thing. Yet restaurants devoted to other cuisines laud the dish in other guises: schnitzel, cutlets, pork tenderloin (it’s an Indiana thing) or chicken fried steak.
Milanesa was likely adapted from recipes introduced by European settlers. It became a staple in Mexican homes. And it remains popular in little comida corrida haunts south of the border, as well as mom and pop tacqueria’s here.
What is so special about Milanesa?
“Maybe everything,” Martinez said.
It’s a hearty plate, certainly. The crisp shell offers substance and textural contrast. At its best, however, it involves little more than flour — bread crumbs, too, in some cases — and modest seasoning. But the tender meat seems to gain from this treatment. It struts with a rich, swarthy demeanor, oozing all of the warming, husky savor of a thick steak.
Perhaps that is because every aspect of Milanesa calls attention to the meat. Pepper and garlic supports beef’s earthy swagger. A dip in egg contributes to the sense of wealth. And slicing it, fat and all renders flavor throughout.
There are other items served alongside: beans, rice, tomatoes, avocado slices. But these are attendants. To cut into Milanesa is to know the comfort of home.
Yes, La Fiesta also prepares Tex-Mex favorites. Martinez has cooked at the old Konocti Harbor, the new Konocti Vista and other places before his wife opened the little tacqueria and shop almost a decade ago. He even enjoys some of that north of the border flavor.
“I’ve been living here a long time,” he said with a smile.
But Milanesa, that’s authentic.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
