Peposo : Tuscan Peppery Beef Stew

It’s April. It’s still cold. It’s. Not. Fun.

Normally at this time, I would be thinking of springs vegetable bounty, but unfortunately, my body is still asking for belly warming dishes such as these. I came across this recipe from one of my cook books, “The Country Cooking of Italy” by Colman Andrews. It is a beautiful book, full of regional recipes with beautiful pictures and anecdotes. My decision to make this was the absolute ease of the recipe. You basically just throw the ingredients in a dutch oven and slow cook for hours. Perfect for when you want something delicious and homemade but don’t have the time to sit at the stove.

These ingredients are also readily available in your pantry - Pepper, Salt, Garlic, Tomato Sauce and Wine. That’s it. Easy as 1-2-3. (Now you’re thinking of the Jackson 5, aren’t you?)

I made this last night for some friends who came to dinner. Yet, I had to run a whole bunch of errands, but no problem. Slow roasted in the oven for 8 hours, it left me plenty of time to do what I needed and still come home and whip up some boiled and buttered potatoes.

This recipe did not taste at all like any other Italian food I have ever eaten, the simplicity was very italian, but it’s peperiness reminded me more of an Asian dish than a Tuscan one. It was truly delicious nonetheless!

So, if you have things to do and still want to make a hearty homemade meal that the family will love, you absolutely must try this dish. And you won’t even need a knife.

So here’s what you’re going to need:

Serves 4-6

1 kg of beef for stew

2 tbsp crushed peppercorns (not ground)

12 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt

1 cup tomato sauce

1 bottle Chianti

Preheat the oven to 135C. In a large dutch oven, add the beef, peppercorns, garlic, generous amount of salt, tomato sauce and the wine to cover. Cover the dutch oven and place in the oven, cooking for 6-8 hours, do not take off the lid.

Serve with your favorite starch…..or not. It’s delicious on its own.

From my kitchen to yours,

Carla