Vitello Tonnato (Vitel Toné)
Ingredients:
- 1 whole beef round (about 1–1.5 kg / 2–3 lb)
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, cut into chunks
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine
- Salt and black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1 cup (237 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 can tuna in oil (drained)
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) capers
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2–3 tablespoons (30-44 ml) broth (from cooking the meat)
Method:
Place the peceto (beef round) in a pot with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, wine, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and simmer gently until tender, about 1½ hours. Let it cool in the broth.
Once cold, cut the beef into very thin slices. Arrange neatly on a platter.
In a blender, combine mayonnaise, tuna, anchovies, capers, mustard, and lemon juice. Add a little of the broth to thin if necessary. The sauce should be smooth and creamy (my aunt was so obsessed with the creaminess of this sauce that she used to strain it (and sometimes double strain). Spoon the
sauce generously over the beef slices. Scatter a few extra capers on top.