Peposo
AKA Tuscan Wine & Black Pepper Stew
Peposo is one of the most famous traditional Tuscan dishes. It was invented as early as 1400 and it was mainly a meal for the workmen and artisans who used to work with clay. They would use the cheapest and fattest cuts of beef and they would cover them with red wine to get rid of the strong smell. They would then slow cook it in clay pots that they placed in the same furnaces they used for work.
Apparently, during the construction and decoration of Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence, this was the go to meal on the construction site.
The first version of the dish didn’t contain tomato as America hadn’t been discovered yet hence tomatoes were not present in Europe. Tomato in this dish was introduced around 1800.
I love this dish deeply and it takes me back to the time I lived in Florence. It was right after University, it was my first job and I had the time of my life. Do I need to say more?
Joking aside, the thing I appreciate the most of Tuscan cuisine is it’s simplicity, the humble ingredients and the fact that there’s hundreds of years of history and tradition behind each bite you take. When you have your first bite of Peposo, close your eyes and think that you are having exactly the same meal that clay artisans used to have back in 1400. How cool is that?
620 year old dish
Ingredients
1kg chuck steak
1 bottle of Chianti
4 tbsp of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp of black peppercorns
salt & pepper
3 tbsp tomato purée
3 bay leaves
This quantities are enough for 4 people and it will take you 5h in total to prepare
Step by step
Cut your chuck steak into chunks. Don’t trim all the fat, make sure you leave some on. Put the steak in a casserole. If you don’t have one a regular pot will do
Add all the ingredients in the pot, including the wine. Mix well and let it rest for 1h
After 1h, put the pot on the hob and bring it to boil. As soon as it boils, bring the heat down to the minimum, cover with a lid and let cook for roughly 4h
Make sure you stir it from time to time and keep an eye on it
Serve it with a nice slice of bread, cannellini beans and greens
Tip & cheats
If after 4h there is still too much liquid, just turn the heat up and take the lid off and cook until ready.
Any red wine will do really but, if you want to stay faithful to the origins use Chianti.
Don’t be afraid to add so many peppercorns. The result will be delicious. After slow cooking them for so long, they’ll be soft and very tasty.
