Vitel Toné

Vitel toné is thin-sliced cold veal draped in a creamy tuna-and-caper sauce. Italian immigrants brought the idea of vitello tonnato to Argentina, and it grew into something close to an essential ritual there — the dish that opens the table at Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners across the country, more than it ever was in the Italian kitchens it came from.

What it really is

A veal roast poaches gently until fully cooked but still tender, then chills and slices thin once cold — the cold slicing is what lets it hold clean, even slices rather than falling apart warm. The sauce is built from tuna blended smooth with mayonnaise, capers and often a little of the poaching liquid, thinned to a pourable consistency and spooned generously over the veal so every slice is coated. It chills again once assembled, meant to be served cold rather than at room temperature.

It's tied to the calendar more than to any single occasion within it. Vitel toné isn't an everyday dish or even a typical weekend one — its place is specifically the Christmas and New Year's table, prepared in advance since it needs to chill fully before serving.

How it's served

• Cold, sliced thin, arranged on a platter with sauce spooned over.
• As a starter ahead of a larger holiday meal.
• Garnished simply, sometimes with a few extra capers or a sprig of parsley.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the fish in the tuna and the egg in the mayonnaise.
• Say if it's a seasonal item or available year-round, since regulars associate it strongly with the holidays.
• Note that it's served cold and needs advance preparation time.