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Easy Vitello Tonnato Recipe - Cold Veal With Tuna Sauce

Easy Vitello Tonnato Recipe - Veal With Tuna Sauce (VIDEO)

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Appetizer, Second course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Meat:

  • 1 celery stick washed
  • 1 carrot washed
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 kg veal round (2 pounds)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 cloves
  • 750 ml dry white wine (about 3 cups)
  • 1.5 l water (about 6 cups)
  • Salt

For the Sauce:

  • 250 g tuna drained - (8 oz)
  • 3 hard-boiled yolks
  • 25 g capers (1 oz)
  • 4 anchovy fillets desalted
  • 10 ml lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 15 ml white wine vinegar (1 tablespoon)
  • 50 ml extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons)

Instructions
 

The Meat

  • For the best results, wrap the netting securely around the roast before cooking to maintain its shape and prevent sagging during the cooking process. To save time and ensure excellent outcomes, consider having your trusted butcher prepare the roast.
  • Start by marinating the meat in the refrigerator for 12 hours with wine, herbs, and chopped vegetables.
  • Transfer the entire marinade directly to the saucepan you will use for cooking. Add water to cover the ingredients and season with salt. Simmer over low heat for about 60 minutes with the pot covered.
  • When searing the roast, be careful not to let a crust form on the meat’s surface. As soon as one side turns white, flip the roast to prevent overcooking and facilitate slicing later on.
  • After an hour, check for doneness. Gently poke the roast with a fork. If you notice a small amount of lightly reddish liquid coming out, additional cooking time may be necessary to ensure the roast reaches the correct internal temperature evenly.
  • Then, set aside two ladles of the cooking liquid.
  • Let the meat cool at room temperature initially, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up completely.

The Tuna Sauce

  • To prepare the tuna sauce, mix canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, capers, anchovies, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and olive oil in a food processor or with an immersion blender in a glass. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid while blending until you reach the desired consistency.
  • If the sauce is too thick, you can add about two tablespoons of additional meat cooking liquid to reach your desired thickness.

Assemble Vitello Tonnato

  • When presenting veal with tuna sauce, allow for creative plating arrangements. Thinly sliced the chilled veal and arrange onto serving plate of your choice, then generously top with the prepared sauce.