Sam Sifton's Vitello Tonnato

Ingredients

For the veal

• 2 pounds boned veal eye round
• 1 7-ounce container best-quality Italian tuna, shredded
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled, chopped in quarters and stuck with 2 cloves
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 1 ½ cups dry white wine
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium or homemade
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 10 black peppercorns, ground

For the tuna sauce

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 12-ounce container best-quality Italian tuna in olive oil, finely chopped, with its oil
• 2 anchovies, rinsed, dried and minced
• 1 tablespoon caper brine
• Lemon juice
• veal broth (see above)
• Kosher salt to taste

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    1023 calories; 77 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 47 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 60 grams protein; 255 milligrams cholesterol; 1195 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 4 to 6

Preparation

For the veal

1. If necessary, tie the veal with cotton string, so that it resembles a salami. Place the meat in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and cover with tuna, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, parsley, wine, broth, salt and pepper, then heat over a high flame until it comes to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the veal reaches 130 degrees.
2. Remove meat to a large, nonreactive bowl, strain the broth over it, cover and allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator. (Discard solids.)
3. Meanwhile, put yolks in a medium bowl. Beat together with a wire whisk. Begin to add oil as you beat, a very little at a time, adding more as each bit is incorporated. When a thick emulsion forms, then you can add oil a little faster, but not much faster. The entire process should take roughly 5 to 7 minutes. (You may not need all the oil.)
4. Add tuna, anchovies and caper brine to the mixture, then beat to incorporate. Add a few tablespoons of the veal broth to thin the sauce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding lemon juice or more broth to taste. The sauce should not taste overly mayonnaisey but should lurk in the neighborhood.
5. Remove the cooled veal from its broth, untie and cut across the grain into very thin slices. Arrange these neatly on a platter with the edges of the slices overlapping, and spoon the tuna sauce over the top. Cover and return to refrigerator overnight or until ready to use. Garnish with capers or fried capers, lemon, hard-cooked egg wedges or sprigs of parsley. Serve with copious amounts of bread and a green salad, lightly dressed.