Thinly sliced cold poached veal blanketed in a creamy tuna and anchovy sauce, garnished with capers. The quintessential Argentine Christmas dish inherited from Italian tradition.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Place the veal in a large pot with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for seventy to ninety minutes until the veal is tender. Let it cool in the broth.
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2
While the veal cools, prepare the sauce. In a blender, combine the drained tuna, anchovy fillets, two tablespoons capers, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and a few tablespoons of the veal cooking broth. Blend until smooth and creamy.
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3
Remove the cooled veal from the broth and slice it very thinly, about three millimeters thick, using a sharp carving knife.
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4
Arrange the veal slices on a serving platter, overlapping slightly. Spoon the tuna sauce generously over the slices, ensuring complete coverage.
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5
Garnish with whole capers scattered over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. Serve cold.
Did You Know?
No Argentine Christmas Eve table is complete without vitel tone. Families often prepare it one or two days in advance, as the sauce improves when it has time to meld with the chilled veal slices.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- large pot
- blender or food processor
- sharp carving knife
The Story Behind Vitel Tone
Vitel tone is Argentina's adaptation of the Italian vitello tonnato, brought by Piedmontese immigrants in the late 19th century. While the Italian original is a summer dish, Argentines adopted it as the centerpiece of their Christmas Eve dinner, which falls during the Southern Hemisphere summer. The dish symbolizes the Italian heritage that profoundly shaped Argentine cuisine. Every December, Argentine supermarkets dedicate entire sections to vitel tone ingredients, and food magazines publish updated recipes debating the proper ratio of tuna to mayonnaise.
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