Pork tenderloin vitello tonnato style is a recipe inspired by vitello tonnato, the classic Italian recipe for veal with tuna sauce. Made with roasted pork tenderloin and a tuna mayo with capers, this dish is even more flavorful and a delicious summery starter!

My mom is of Italian origin from the Piedmont region and growing up, all our family reunion meals, whether at home or in restaurants, among the plethora of dishes served did include vitello tonnato.

In the original veal with tuna recipe, a lean cut of veal is cooked in a flavorful vegetable broth, then machine sliced very thinly. The sauce is made of processed hard-boiled eggs, tuna and capers.

I find that my pork tenderloin vitello tonnato style is more adapted to our stressful era, we don’t always have time to make a veggie broth, plus veal has become so expensive!

In addition to being more advantageous, pork tenderloin is also more flavorful. For this recipe, I slather it with mustard and roast it in a high sided frying pan.

Also, I like to cut my pork loin in thin slices but not paper thin, the mouthfeel is chewier and tastier.

For the tonnato sauce, I make a mayo (store bought is perfect) seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper, chopped parsley, capers (those in vinegar) and shredded tuna.

How to make Pork Tenderloin Vitello Tonnato Style:

• Pat the tenderloin dry, remove any fat and silver skin, slather it with mustard, season with salt and pepper
• Into a high sided frying pan, heat some vegetable oil and a chunk of butter on medium/high and sear the loin on all sides until a thin crust is formed, lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer away for about 20 to 25 minutes, remove from the pan, set aside to cool completely
• Note that the meat will shrink while cooking, check my picture for the number of slices I could make out of it
• Meanwhile make your mayonnaise or use store bought, season with salt, lots of black pepper, chopped parsley, capers and shredded tuna, chill until ready to use
• With a sharp knife, slice the tenderloin thinly, to do so hold the loin firmly with one hand, very close to the cut and slice, doing it this way you’ll be able to cut neat slices without shredding the loin at the bottom
• Arrange the slices nicely on the plate of your choice, add a teaspoon of mayo on each slice, sprinkle the meat with coarse salt and black pepper, serve a bowl of sauce on the side
• Keep the plate chilled until ready to serve, cover it loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil
• Homemade mayo will be good for 2 days max

Tip:

• Cook and slice the meat the day before, store in a lidded container in your refrigerator
• Tuna mayo can also be made one day ahead, but note that with regards to any leftovers, homemade mayo has a 2 days max shelf life
• Assemble on D-day, even a few hours prior to serving, store in your fridge loosely covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil

If you’re making my homemade mayo, do not add any lemon juice of vinegar!

Enjoy!