Vitel Tone Recipe with Creamy Tuna & Anchovy Sauce

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

If you love Caesar salad dressing, then you'll love the creamy tuna and anchovy flavours of Vitel Tone. It's a well loved Italian classic recipe made of thin slices tenderloin pork loin or veal braised in water, wine, and vegetables.

It is then served cold with a quick and easy tuna sauce and is popular for family gatherings on a serving platter for New Year buffets, and is also a traditional Christmas dish.

slices of cooked tenderloin pork meat layered on a white plate with creamy tuna and anchovy sauce on top with capers and parsley

What is the Origin of Vitel Toné?

Let me introduce you to a fabulous Italian recipe called Vitel Toné. Its Italian name is pronounced vie-tel-tow-nie and originates from the north of Italy in Piedmont (región de Piamonte).

It's a 300-year-old recipe where slices of braised veal would be served cold and smothered in a creamy tuna sauce.

So much so that it is now also a popular Argentinian Christmas food dish and is usually made the day before.

The dish became more popular in the 19th century when in 1891, the famous Italian cookbook author Pellegrino Artusi published her recipe for Vitel Toné that included tuna in the sauce.

Tuna apparently wasn't considered a tasty fish, but it gives it is unique and delicious taste similar to a Caeser salad dressing that many love today.

It's now often served as a main course or antipasto, and more commonly with pork loin, or beef.

Jump to:

What is the Origin of Vitel Toné?
✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
🛒 Ingredient Notes
📋 Instructions
👩‍🍳 Substitutions
⚖️ Variations
🔪 Equipment
❄️ Storages
💡Pro Tips
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
❓ FAQ
🍽️Pairing
➕ More Authentic Italian Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here are just a handful of reasons why we think you'll love this vitel tonne:

It's healthy and low carb
Perfect for picnics, lunch or dinner
sdThe sauce can be used with leftover roast meats
Great for making ahead as it is usually served cold
It's a very easy family dinner to make for busy families
Looks effortlessly beautifully gourmet food on a platter
The tuna based sauce is versatile for salads, sandwich dressing, etc
The homemade broth can be used again in homemade soup recipes or risotto

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.

labelled ingredients to make Vitel Toné in English and Italian

Meat Ingredients

Tenderloin pork - with string tied around it to ensure it keeps its round shape while cooking in a pan of water. I then trim any fat off after cooking. Or, for a more authentic vitel tone, use veal roast, or you can use beef tenderloin.

Vegetables - these are carrots, celery, white onion to flavour the broth

Herbs - this is a dried bay leaf and fresh rosemary, or you can use thyme, basil, or oregano

Seasoning - this is coarse salt and black peppercorns or ground black pepper

White wine - this really gives the stock a gorgeous flavour and gently flavours the meat. Note: some Italians also soak the tuna in some wine overnight so that it is much fluffier in the sauce

Cold water - this is enough to cover the meat in your pan

Ingredients for the Sauce

½ cup of broth - this is the broth created in the pan with the pork, vegetables, herbs and spices

Anchovies in oil - for a rich, salty and tasty creamy sauce. or you can use anchovy paste

Canned tuna - I use cheaper Skipjack tuna, but I recommend tuna in olive oil if you can find it. Mostly in the UK, it is sold in sunflower oil (an inflammatory fat), so I tend to opt for tuna in spring water. You could also use Albacore for its creamy taste, but it is a lot more expensive

Mayonnaise - or you can use cream and hard-boiled egg yolks

Cream - similar to my Coronation chicken recipe, it makes the tuna sauce extra creamy and fresh

Lemon juice - for a zesty, tangy taste to boost the flavours

White wine vinegar - or apple cider vinegar with mother to add a sweet, balanced taste with some acidity

Ground pepper - to taste. Note I don't add salt as it is already in the stock and anchovies

Capers - ⅛ cup capers and extra for a garnish. Or you can use gherkins or green olives if preferred

Dijon mustard - for a slightly sour taste to balance the sweet wine and pork stock

Olive oil - to add a healthy fat and make it smoother to taste

Fresh parsley - to garnish

📋 Instructions

tied pork loin in a large pan with cold water, bay leaf, peppercrons, salt, carrot, celery, onion and rosemary sprig

1. Tie string around tenderloin or veal if needed, then place it in a large pan.

Add all of the vegetables, bay leaf, salt, pepper, glass of wine, and cold water until the meat is covered.

Add a lid and cook on a gentle simmer for 1 hour 40 minutes or until tender.

Scoop out the white foam when you see it.

person scooping out broth from the cooking pot that had pork in it to use in the vitel toné sauce

2. Once tender, leave it to cool in the pot. Then you can remove the meat and set aside for slicing.

Then scoop out ½ a ladle (or ¼-1/2 cup) of the broth and place in a blender.

ingredients for creamy tuna and anchovy sauce in a stick blender pot

3. Then add canned tuna, anchovies and the remaining tuna sauce ingredients into the blender.

person blending vitel toné sauce with an immersion blender

4. Now blender until you have a consistently smooth sauce.

sliced tenderloin pork with fat removed on a wooden chopping board with sharp knife

5. Next, slice the meat as thinly as you can cut with a sharp knife.

slices of meat layered on white plate topped with creamy sauce, capers and parsley for serving

6. Arrange on a large plate, bowl or serving platter.

Then drizzle the sauce on top and garnish with more capers and fresh parsley.

close up of a surf and turf Argentinian and Italian Christmas dinner with creamy fish sauce on top of meat

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make for this vitello tonnato recipe:

Pork loin - you can replace it with any round roast joint such as veal, or beef steak. Or swap for cooked chicken breast slices, or easy mackerel patties. For vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute for tofu, tempeh or fried polenta
Mayonnaise - for an authentic vitel toné, you can swap for 2 hard-boiled eggs as Sophia Loren does in her 1971 cookbook, In Cucina Con Amore. Make a fresh mayonnaise. Or alternatively, you can swap for an avocado dressing, vegan mayonnaise with drained chickpeas, or use yogurt.
Anchovies - If you don't have anchovies, you can swap substitute 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste, you can use soy sauce or a pinch of salt, grated parmesan, or skip altogether
Lemon juice - If you do not have lemon juice, you can replace with more white wine vinegar, or lime juice
Dijon mustard: If you do not have Dijon mustard, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard
White wine - swap for apple juice to make it child friendly or other fruit juice
Tuna - swap for canned mackerel mayonnaise, canned salmon or sardines. Alternatively, you can use vegan tuna (Vuna) if you are also using plant-based ingredients throughout

close up of creamed tuna mayonnaise sauce in a jar with lemon

⚖️ Variations

Here are some different ways you can enhance or adapt pork topped with tuna sauce:

Eggs version - some Italians make their own mayonnaise with cooked boiled eggs or egg yolks and olive oil (not extra virgin)
Deluxe - you can add a minced garlic clove to the sauce for extra tang and flavour
Mackerel mayonnaise - you can instead make a canned mackerel or canned salmon creamy dressing
Spicy - add a pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika to add some heat to the sauce

🔪 Equipment

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.

Large pan - make sure this is big enough for your chosen size of meat and has a lid to cover while simmering

Blender - a simple stick blender and jug is fine for this

Chopping knife and chopping board - I recommend a very sharp knife when cutting up your slices of meat. Or use an electric knife if you have on

Measuring cups, measuring spoons or kitchen scales - any are fine as I have carefully measured this homemade vitel toné recipe using cups, spoons and grams so you can enjoy it in Italy, Argentina or anywhere else

Lemon juicer - or simply press your lemon by hand or insert a spoon in the centre of half of a lemon and twist

❄️ Storages

Storing - we prefer eating pork in tuna sauce once cooled, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days

Freezing - cool to room temperature and again, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge overnight.

💡Pro Tips

Watch this how to tie string around meat video if needed by LeCordon Bleu to that the meat stays round while cooking
Don't discard the meat stock as you can use it in any of my homemade soup recipes!
Try to use the best quality mayonnaise you can for the best-tasting sauce
Start by adding ¼ cup of the broth to the sauce ingredients rather than ½ for more control over your desired thickness
Use a very sharp knife, electric knife or mandoline to slice the pork loin evenly thin

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Here are a few ways you can enjoy this Italian appetizer:

Salad - we think the best way to eat vitel toné is with a fresh side salad like thid Greek salad with tuna.

Sandwich filler - enjoy as a pork salad sandwich along with the dressing. Instead of slicing the pork, you could pull pork then stir into the sauce similar to a Coronation chicken sandwich.

Bread - cursty baguettes are great for mopping up the sauce!

Potatoes - a classic way to eat it is with a portion of carbs, such as crushed potatoes, or homemade French fries and salad as we do with chicken parmo

Pasta - it is perfect served with pasta fredda (cold pasta salad). We like to use wholewheat pasta for more nutrition, or orzo pasta

Rice or risotto - using the pork stock is perfect for making a side dish such as spicy rice, or slow cooker tomato risotto

Roasted vegetables - to add more vegetables to your diet, roasted tenderstem broccoli, carrots, or asparagus work well with Vitel Toné.

Wine - we love it with a cold glass of Pinot Grigio for its dry taste to balance with the sweet sauce. Or you could try Sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay.

You can find more side dish ideas here.

❓ FAQ

What is the difference between Vitel Toné and vitello tonnato?

Although almost identical, the main difference between Vitel Toné and vitello tonnato is that Vitel Toné is typically made with mayonnaise, whereas the vitello tonnato sauce is typically made with blended cooked eggs or egg yolks.

What is the best way to serve Vitel Toné?

The best way an Italian or Argentinian will say to serve vitel toné is cold or room temperature and the day after making for the flavours to have melded.

Is Vitel Toné healthy?

Vitel Toné is a considered healthy as it is low fat, low carb and a good source of protein. However, I do recommend a good quality organic mayonnaise or homemade with less unhealthy additives.

Why is it called Vitel Toné?

The name "Vitel Toné" comes from the Italian words "vitello" (veal) and "tonno" (tuna). The dish is named after the two main ingredients, veal and tuna. Although the name has a different meaning in the 21st century as the veal is commonly swapped for pork.

Can I use other types of meat in Vitel Toné?

Yes, other types of meat can be used in this Vitel Toné recipe. Some popular alternatives include pork, beef, chicken, or even turkey.

Can you make Veal or Pork in Tuna Sauce in an Instant Pot?

If you don't want to wait a long time to boil your meat for vitel tone, then cooking in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes is the next best thing.

🍽️Pairing

Here are a few side dishes you might like to serve with vitel toné:

➕ More Authentic Italian Recipes

Looking for more Italian recipes? Why not try these:

Why not subscribe to my newsletter to hear about the latest recipes and exclusive news from Tastefully Vikkie? You can also connect with me on social media at Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram!