Vitello tonnato, also known as vitel toné , could be translated as "tuna-infused veal." It's an Italian dish of veal bathed in a tuna sauce , served cold as an appetizer. This dish originated in the Italian region of Piedmont, though it's very popular in several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, due to the influence of immigrants.
It's often served at Christmas parties and other celebrations, as it makes a lot and can be prepared in advance . The advantage of this recipe is that you can cook a large piece of meat and cut it as needed, or even freeze any leftovers for another time.
For this vitello tonnato we prepared a 1.2 kg piece of beef round with which we filled 4 generous serving dishes of vitello tonnato and we were still able to reserve a good piece of meat with which to prepare another 2 servings.
Many versions of this recipe use mayonnaise for the sauce . Personally, I prefer to make it with cooked egg yolks because they give it a more velvety texture. In any case, if you prefer mayonnaise, it's best to use store-bought mayonnaise so you can keep it longer without worry.
Recipe Information
- Preparation time : 10 minutes
- Cooking time : 30 minutes
- Total time : 40 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Servings : 6
- Category : incoming
- Type of cuisine : Italian
- Calories per serving (kcal) : 653
Ingredients of vitello tonnato
For the meat:
- 1.2 kg of beef round
- 1 onion
- 1 leek (the green part)
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 sprig of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 glass of white wine
- Salt
- Black peppercorns
For the tonnata sauce:
- 2 boiled eggs
- 120g of tuna in extra virgin olive oil
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 200 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 30g of capers
To plate:
- Capers
- Arugula
How to make vitello tonnato
We prepare 1.2 kg of beef round, trimming off any excess fat. We place it in a casserole dish large enough to fit it whole.
Roughly chop 1 onion, 1 leek (the green part), 1 carrot, and 1 stalk of celery. Add them to the pot along with 1 sprig of parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 glass of white wine, salt, and a few black peppercorns.
Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook the meat covered over low heat for 30 minutes, turning the roast halfway through. It will be slightly pink inside and much juicier. If you prefer it more well-done, you can cook it for longer.
We let the meat cool in the water. Once it's at room temperature, we remove it, drain it, and wrap it tightly in cling film. We let it cool completely in the refrigerator (1 hour should be enough). We strain and reserve the broth; we may need it to thin the sauce or use it in other dishes.
For the tonnata sauce, separate the yolks of 2 boiled eggs and put them in a jug or blender along with 120g of canned tuna in extra virgin olive oil, 5 anchovy fillets, 200ml of extra virgin olive oil (we recommend including the oil from the can, which will give more flavor), juice to taste from 1 lemon and 30g of capers.
Blend until you have a smooth sauce, which will likely be quite thick. To thin it, add ladles of cold stock from cooking the meat, one at a time, and blend again until you have a sauce thin enough to easily coat the steaks. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon.
Slice the roast beef as thinly as possible. Ideally, use a deli slicer, but if you don't have one, a sharp knife and a little skill will also work. Arrange the slices on a large plate or serving platter. Repeat until you have enough plates.
We cover the meat with the sauce. We can serve it immediately, although it's recommended to let it rest in the refrigerator for a while longer, so that the beef absorbs the flavors of the sauce.
When serving, we distribute some capers and arugula leaves on top.
Easy-to-prepare summary
- We clean the round of fat and put it in a saucepan
- Chop the vegetables and add them to the pot with wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper
- Cover with water and cook over low heat
- We let the meat cool in the water, cover it with cling film and store it in the refrigerator
- We blend the sauce ingredients
- We add cooking broth to thin the sauce
- We cut the meat into thin slices
- We covered it with sauce
- We garnished with capers and arugula
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Whenever I want something rich and indulgent, I usually go for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this elegant Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a decadent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And when I’m craving something fruity and comforting, I always come back to this classic French Tarte Tatin recipe.
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