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Vitel Toné

Chilled slices of tender veal under a creamy tuna-anchovy sauce — the elegant Italian-Argentine classic that rules Christmas lunch.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 1 hrCook time
🍽 8Servings
🏷 Argentinian KitchenCategory
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Vitel Toné

Vitel toné came to Argentina with Italian immigrants and became the undisputed star of the Christmas table. The combination of cold roast veal and a silky, briny tuna-caper sauce sounds odd and tastes absolutely magical.

The Christmas dish that surprises everyone

The veal is tender and mild, and the sauce is rich and creamy with a salty, umami depth from tuna, anchovies, and capers. Served cold, it is refreshing and decadent at once.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Place the veal in a pot with the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, and salt, and cover with water; bring to a gentle simmer.
  2. Simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, until the meat is tender and reaches about 160°F in the center.
  3. Let the meat cool completely in its broth, then refrigerate for 2 hours — cold meat slices much more cleanly.
  4. Make the sauce: blend the tuna, anchovies, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and white pepper until completely smooth and creamy.
  5. Slice the chilled veal thinly and arrange the slices, slightly overlapping, on a serving platter.
  6. Spread the sauce evenly over the meat, cover, and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  7. Garnish with extra capers and a sprinkle of parsley just before serving, cold.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Make it a day ahead — the sauce seeps into the veal and the flavors marry beautifully. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated and are best eaten straight from the fridge.

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Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook1 hr
Servings8
CategoryArgentinian Kitchen
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →