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Filé à parmegiana
Breaded beef with tomato and cheese
Filé à parmegiana: São Paulo and Rio breaded beef fillet under tomato sauce and melted cheese
BrazilianBorn in the Italian-run restaurants of São Paulo and now a pride of Rio's botecos, filé à parmegiana is served in portions big enough for two, with white rice and chips. Beef fillet is pounded thin, breaded and fried, then covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella and baked until bubbling. It's crisp underneath, gooey on top and very generous. For a vegetarian version, use thick slices of aubergine, salted and patted dry, with vegetarian cheeses. Chef's tip: pound the meat evenly so it fries in the time it takes the crust to turn golden.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 ⅓ lb beef fillet or sirloin4 slices, pounded to 1 cm
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 4 oz dry breadcrumbs
- 1 ¾ cups sunflower oil for frying
For the topping
- 1 ¾ cups tomato passata
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7 oz mozzarellasliced
- 1 oz parmesangrated
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Make the sauce: warm the 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat, add the 2 cloves garlic for 30 seconds, then the 1 ¾ cups tomato passata and 1 tsp dried oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
11 minStep 2: Season the 1 ⅓ lb beef fillet or sirloin with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Dip each slice in the 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, then the 2 eggs, then press into the 4 oz dry breadcrumbs.
8 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 425°F. Heat the 1 ¾ cups sunflower oil for frying in a wide frying pan to 350°F and fry the beef for 2 minutes a side until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
8 minStep 4: Lay the beef in a baking dish, spoon over the sauce and cover with the 7 oz mozzarella and 1 oz parmesan. Drowning the crust in sauce is the common mistake; leave the edges uncovered so they stay crisp.
3 minStep 5: Bake for 8–10 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve with rice and chips.
9 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does filé à parmegiana take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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