Read the recipe in Italian
Vitello tonnato
INGREDIENTS
Vitello (magatello or girello) 800g
Sedano 1 costa
Carote 1
Cipolle dorate 1
Aglio 1 spicchio
Vino bianco 250g
Acqua 1,5l
Alloro 1 foglia
Chiodi di garofano q.b.
Olio extravergine d’oliva 3 cucchiai
Pepe nero in grani q.b.
Sale fino q.b.
Vitello tonnato Calories
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 30 min
Cooking: 55 min
Yield: 6 people
Cost: High
Note + the time required for the meat to cool down
Vitello tonnato PREPARATION
How to prepare vitello tonnato
To prepare vitello tonnato, start by cleaning the vegetables that will be used to cook the meat. Wash them, then peel the carrot and trim it, cut it into pieces. Then remove the ends from the celery and also cut into pieces 1. Peel the onion and divide it into 2 parts, trim the garlic that will be used whole. Move on to cleaning the meat, removing any cartilage and fat strings 2. In a large pot, place the piece of girello 3.
Add the cut vegetables and garlic 4, the bay leaf 5, the cloves 6, and the black peppercorns.
Pour in white wine 7 and then water 8 that should cover everything. Salt and add oil 9. Turn on the stove and wait for it to boil.
As foam rises to the surface, gradually remove it 10. Then close the lid and lower the flame slightly, letting it cook for about 40-45 minutes: remembering that for every 500 g of meat, it takes about 30 minutes of cooking. The important thing is that the meat at the heart does not exceed 65°, to be measured with a kitchen thermometer. Once the piece of meat is cooked, drain it 11 and let it cool completely 12.
Then strain the broth 13. About 150 g of broth will be required. In the meantime, prepare the hard-boiled eggs. In a small pot with plenty of cold water, immerse the fresh eggs 14. Turn on the stove and from the moment of boiling, count 9 minutes. When they are firm, drain and rinse them under cold water. Once cooled, peel and cut them into 4 pieces 15.
In a pitcher, add the egg wedges, drained tuna 16, anchovies in oil 17, and desalted capers 18 (you can desalt them by rinsing them under fresh running water).
Finally, add the broth little by little 19. Use an immersion blender (the classic mixer is also suitable) and add more broth as needed. Blend 20 until smooth 21.
At this point, the meat should be completely cold. Slice it thinly with a smooth blade knife 22. Arrange the slices on a serving plate and pour the obtained cream in the middle 24. Finally, decorate with capers, some whole and some halved and your vitello tonnato is ready 24.
Storage
Vitello tonnato can be stored for a maximum of 1-2 days in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. It is preferable to keep the cream aside. Freezing is not recommended.
Tip
The leftover meat broth will be useful for other preparations, such as risottos. Add or replace the vegetables and spices with those you prefer. In some versions, mayonnaise is used instead of hard-boiled eggs, you can try it by following our recipe for vitello tonnato with mayonnaise!