Almost everyone I know here in Piemonte couldn’t live without Vitello Tonnato, braised veal slices with a tuna mayonnaise sauce. Normally it is eaten as a cold antipasto which is nice in summertime but is eaten all year around too. I guess it is about time I posted something with meat in it, especially since Piemonte is recognized for its high quality breed of white cows and veal! So here it is…a meat based recipe…just for you!

restaurant style vitello tonnato with a chunkier sauce

VITELLO TONNATO for 6 people

1 kg (2.2 lbs.) of veal roast or pork tenderloin if you can’t find that
1 onion
1 carrot
Celery
150 g (5 ounces) of high quality olive oil packed tuna
3 high quality anchovies
Capers
Mayonnaise made with two eggs (see recipe below)
1/2 cup of olive oil

Sicilian salted anchovies

Put onion, carrot, celery and a bit of salt in a pot full of water. Bring the water to a simmer, add the whole veal roast and simmer over a low flame for about 1 1/2 hours. Let it cool in the water.

In the meantime prepare the tonnato sauce. Take the tuna, anchovies and capers and mix them together. If you want a chunkier sauce you can chop them all up finely together or blend them for a creamier mixture and add more oil if needed. Make the mayonnaise described below and combine the incredients.

Cut the cooled veal in thin slices with a very sharp knife or professional butcher’s slicer. Dip the veal in the tonnato sauce slathering both sides (in restaurants they tend to put a dollop of sauce at the bottom of the veal fanned out on the dish). This looks nicer but the longer you let the veal absorb the sauce covering it entirely, the more tender and tastier it will be.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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HOMEMADE MAYO:

2 egg yolks (room temperature) and from free range chickens if possible
2 cups of E.V. Olive oil
Salt
Lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon

Place the yolks in a mixing bowl and with a wooden spoon beat the eggs. Slowly drizzle olive oil while mixing and beat/mix until you get a creamy consistency, continue this step numerous times, mixing faster but drizzling the olive oil slowly until all the ingredients have been used up and emulsified.

Add the lemon juice (room temperature) and salt, stirring vigorously.

(If you want an easier way to make the mayo you can put two whole eggs including the egg whites in a blender with half a lemon and pinch of salt. When it gets frothy turn off the blender. Turn it on again while adding the olive oil from the little window on the lid slowly until it all nicely emulsifies) This will give you a creamier mayonnaise.

Give it a try or let me know what your preferences are!

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