What is Vitello Tonnato?
Well first of all it’s a Keto Paleo Nutrient Dense Traditional Recipe! Ha!
That means of course one of those recipes I really value, both for deliciousness ad health benefits!
This one specifically has been just slightly adapted from an old family recipe, and it is a typical example of regional Italian cuisine.
Vitello means veal in Italian, and Vitello Tonnato can be loosely translated as veal with tuna sauce. It might seem like an odd combination at first, but I remember the first time I heard of a tuna melt….I was horrified! Just to discover later how amazingly delicious tuna with cheese can be. (Don’t ever mention that in Italy or they will probably kick you out of the country!!)
Veal or not Veal?
Now, veal is not very common in the USA and it is a meat which comes with certain moral implications. It is also not very easily found.
In Italy veal is a traditional form of beef and it is commonly used and found.
In this post I will not get in to the moral discussion of veal, but I would like to give you some easy alternatives in case you can not find it or do not want to use it.
You can simply use the equivalent weight of beef round. Which is the same as the veal’s just not as tender, but it should be ok because of the way it is cooked.
Or you could even sub the equivalent weight of chicken breast.
The sauce is so delicious that will make almost any cut really shine, as long as properly cooked.
- Serves: 8 portions
- Serving size: 1 portion
- Calories: 250
- Fat: 17gr
- Carbohydrates: .8 gr net
- Fiber: .2 gr
- Protein: 22gr
- 700gr or 25 oz veal round, in one piece.
- For the broth:
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 legs of celery
- A small bunch of fresh herbs of your choice
- a marrow bone or two
- For the sauce:
- 2 organic, pastured eggs
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp of sea salt
- 1 Tbs of mustard
- 50 gr or 1.75 oz canned tuna in olive oil
- 4 anchovy filets
- 30 gr or 1 oz of capers in vinegar
- the juice of 1 organic lemon
- To cook the meat:
- In a large pot place all the broth ingredients then cover with about ½ gallon of cold water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Insert the veal round, which has been brought to room temperature, into the pot and fully submerge.
- Lower the flame to low and simmer for about 2 hours.
- Once the meat is cooked and very tender (for beef you might want to add some cooking time) take out of the broth, cover and set aside to cool.
- Once completely cooled, slice into ½ inch thick slices, and arrange on a large serving plate.
- The sauce:
- This is done best with an immersion blender or regular blender.
- First make a mayonnaise: Place the two eggs, which have been brought to room temperature, into the bottom of the blender or blending cup, if you are using an immersion blender just ad the mustard, oil and salt after you have placed the blender on top of the eggs. Then start the blender holding it straight and not moving it. The eggs should slowly emulsify into a perfect mayo.
- (TRICK for prefect mayo every time: add a tablespoon of commercial mayonnaise to start your mayo!)
- Once the eggs and oil have become emulsified, add the capers, anchovies, tuna and lemon juice to the blender and blend until a thick sauce forms.
- You might have to adjust taste by adding some salt or some more lemon.
- To finish:
- Now spread the sauce thickly onto the sliced meat.
- Garnish with capers and parsley leaves.
- For best results let sit in the fridge overnight before serving, so the flavors blend nicely.
- Will keep about 4 days in the fridge.
Comments 5
You have You have the egg whites in there as well?
yes!
Vitello Tonnato is my husband’s all-time-favorite dish, but I have not had much success making it both delicious and healthy. So, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for this recipe — it looks incredible and I can’t wait to make it!
This looks amazing. How does it hold up in the fridge. I might make it and have leftovers all week. Thanks Vivica for the recipe.
Hi Dr Lane! It will hold about a week, best way is to cover it with a clear plastic film so it does not get air!