Classic summer food: vitello tonnato

Ragazzi, we will be looking at a dish today that is an Italian classic.  In Italy, it is served only during the warm  months, although it need not be.  Also, it is almost always a first course, but again, it need not be.   And it is a dish that is prepared ahead of time, and served cold, which is why it is perfect for summer but it is also cause for Annalena's first plea today.

How many of you have said, or thought "AH.  In these heat, I want something COOL" and then wolfed down some prepared cooked food that was good cold?  If you've eaten potato salad this year, or a cold soup like gazpacho, or ceviche, you are in this camp.  Well, Annalena beseeches  you to keep something in mind:  with all of these foods, there is prep that needs to be done. Food has to be cooked (gazpacho is an exception).  That means fire, hot water, and warm to hot kitchens.  So when  you eat that delicious, "simple" cold meal, remember that someone worked in a hot room, in the same weather, preparing it for you, and please thank them for their efforts.

The first time Annalena made vitello tonnato, she made it "by the book," as the book was written at that time.  It called for a  piece of boneless veal shoulder, cooked in a very flavorful broth, and then allowed to cool, and shredded.  It also called for homemade mayonnaise, which Annalena fretted over because she could not get it right.  And the dish was delicious.  In fact, it was more than delicious.

Veal is never inexpensive, but of the various cuts of veal, shoulder is just about the cheapest. It has flavor if you braise it, but boiling any meat is going to leech most of the flavor out of it.  So, it struck Annalena as perfectly logical when her buddy Raffaele told her  'ANNALENA YOU DOPE.  USE GOOD QUALITY MEAT AND ROAST IT, DON'T BOIL IT."  So, she tried it.  And it's better this way. So, sometimes, the book is not always right.

We have been talking of veal here, but to be honest, any of the "white meats" will work here, if you can get sizeable pieces.  Pork tenderloin or a pork roast will work. So, too, will turkey breast.  The key is the sauce, which we will get to.  Annalena made it with veal, and she has taken her stand on veal in these pages before and will not repeat it.   She used a boneless veal roast.  And let's now get to work.

First, the roast, which you can do ahead of time.  Salt your roast overnight, and the day  of preparation, put some olive oil in a big pan, and when it's hot, sear the roast all over.  This will take you, maybe, six minutes.  Then drain the olive oil from the pan, put the roast in, and place it in a 350 degree oven, for about  half an hour.  That's how long it will take a 3 pound roast to go to a point where it just loses the pink at its center, which is what you want.

While this is happening, make your tonnato sauce.  Let's start with the mayonnaise and, to be honest, the mayonnaise does not have to set up for this recipe.  This is important, because it will save you lots of time,  as you do not need to add your oil in the traditional eye dropper style.  Annalena used a food processor.  You add two egg yolks to the processor, with the juice of half of a lemon.  Turn on the processor and start dribbling in a cup and a third of oil (she uses a mix of vegetable and olive),  at the rate of about half a teaspoon each time.  Watch and see the oil incorporated, and then add more.  Yes, this will take a bit of time, but it is necessary to set up the emulsion.    When you are done, add a seven ounce can of tuna, packed in oil, but drained.  (we come back to this below).  Also add three tablespoons of salted capers, which you have soaked in water for about twenty minutes.  This is a lot of capers, but they are key to the dish, as are the 5-6 anchovies packed in oil, that you will also add to the processor, and blend to a thick sauce.  Taste it.  We've refrained from salt because of the anchovies, and the capers, but if you feel it needs more salt, please add it.  Please also add the juice from the remaining half of a lemon.

Now, about that tuna.  Italian tuna - from Italy - is the best (progresso is NOT from Italy, ragazzi).  But if you buy Italian tuna, please ask to make sure you are not buying bluefin.  Unfortunately, this is widely available in Italy, and is still considered the gold standard for canned tuna.  We are killing off  the bluefin.  Do your part and use something else. 


By now, your veal, or pork, or turkey, will be cool enough to slice thinly.  You don't have to use a microplane for this, but slices about 1/3 of an inche thick are good.  Get a 9x13 inch dish, be it glass or ceramic ready, and smear a bit of the tuna mayonnaise on the bottom.  Now cover that with s lices of veal, and then more tuna mayonnaise.  Follow that with more meat, and more sauce.  You will probably only have two layers worth, and that is fine.  Cover the thing, and refrigerate it for at least overnight to let the sauce infiltrate the meat.  The wait is worth it. 

A couple of slices of this are plenty, as the meat is rich, and the sauce is very unctious.  Even cold, you know you are eating something rather filling, and rather classic.  This is a dish that "tastes" of italy, all around.

Give it a try, ragazzi.  Give it a try with different proteins.  And let Annalena know what you like best.  She is still partial to veal, but the pork and turkey versions, are good too.