The low-temperature vitello tonnato, cooked in the slow cooker, is a recipe that makes the meat tender and perfectly cooked. I made the low-temperature vitello tonnato. I must say the recipe surprised even me, as it was my first time trying sous vide cooking with the slow cooker. Since then, I can say I’ve specialized in low-temperature cooking, creating many recipes like the slow cooker pork shank and the low temperature pulled pork.
Thanks to my trusted butcher (Piovano) who suggested how to cook the meat for the vitello tonnato at low temperature and, before sealing it with sous vide, added a balanced mix of salt and herbs.
In the recipe, you’ll find all the instructions for making balanced salt for low-temperature cooking.
Now let’s prepare the best low-temperature vitello tonnato there is!
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 14
- Cooking methods: Slow cooking, Instant pot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 202.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.30 (g) of which sugars 0.74 (g)
- Proteins 28.72 (g)
- Fat 5.95 (g) of which saturated 1.23 (g)of which unsaturated 2.16 (g)
- Fibers 0.88 (g)
- Sodium 476.14 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 130 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3.5 lbs beef or veal, eye round, raw (Magatello or Eye Round – round leg)
- 4 cups ice (in cubes)
- 2 tsps fine salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 5 tsps rosemary (dried)
- 5 tsps sage (dried)
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
- 6.5 oz tuna in oil
- 2 salted anchovies
- 1/4 cup salted capers
- 2 sprigs parsley (for garnish)
Tools
- 1 Slow cooker
- 1 Vacuum sealer
- 1 Vacuum bag
- 1 Grinder or powerful mixer
- Immersion blender
- 1 Jar tall glass
Preparation
Pour the salt, sugar, and herbs into the grinder. Blend well.
Place the meat in the bag and add the balanced salt. Dry the inner edge of the bag well and then pass it through the vacuum machine to remove air from the bag.
Place the meat in the slow cooker and cover with room temperature water. Set the slow cooker to 154°F or slow function, or with the “simmer” menu, for 4 hours. Cover with the lid and start cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce for the vitello tonnato: soak the capers and salted anchovies in fresh water. Let them soften for 15 minutes, then drain the capers and clean the anchovies. Place them in the glass jar, add the drained tuna and mayonnaise. Insert the immersion blender and blend well. Close the jar and refrigerate until use.
Once the meat is cooked, turn off the slow cooker. Prepare a large basin with ice water and immerse the meat (still in the vacuum bag), turning it several times, to stop the cooking.
When serving the meat, remove it from the bag and slice it thinly with the help of a slicer or a sharp knife. Arrange the slices on a serving platter and garnish with the tuna sauce and parsley leaves.
You can ask your trusted butcher if he can vacuum seal the meat and, maybe, slice it for you once cooked.
Extra Tips for Low Temperature Vitello Tonnato
Traditional cooking results in a weight loss of 20% to 30%. In contrast, meat cooked at low temperature is not subject to weight loss or experiences a weight loss of 10%, depending on the quality of the meat.
Cooking Times for Sous Vide Vitello in Slow Cooker
This recipe cooked 3.5 lbs of meat; if you want to change the weight of the meat, cooking times need to be adjusted:
– For 1.75 lbs of meat, it will take 2 hours in slow cooker mode.
– For 2.65 lbs of meat, it will take 3 hours in slow cooker mode.
How to Store Low Temperature Cooked Meat
You can store vacuum-sealed meat, after cooling it in ice, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Once sliced, you can place one or more portions in a bag and vacuum seal it. I advise against adding the tuna sauce.
