it
Food /
Italian Recipes
Dec 23
reading time 2 min

In Cucina: Peposo dell’Impruneta

by ITALY SEGRETA TEAM
A breakfast tray with pancakes, syrup, jam, coffee on a rumpled white-sheeted hotel bed; visible hotel logos in soft light. A breakfast tray with pancakes, syrup, and berries sits on a white bed; Hotel d’Inghilterra Roma logo appears on the right.

This traditional Tuscan stew gets its name from the town of Impruneta, just outside of Florence, and black pepper, a handsome portion of which spices the slow-cooked dish. Originally developed as a way to mask the flavor of cheap, unfresh cuts of meat, peposo was a specialty of the fornacini (kiln workers), who cooked the stuff in terracotta pots in the fire alongside their bricks and tools. Impressed by the dish’s heartiness, famed Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi fed it to his workers when they were building the Duomo. 

This five-ingredient recipe from Michela de Mori of Podere Sala is great for a simple, robust dinner; pieces of beef (today, typically chuck) are seared, then stewed for a few hours in a garlicky, peppery red wine and tomato sauce. The stew is best served atop polenta or with a large hunk of bread–this is one of the few preparations in which the saltless Tuscan bread is actually an optimal choice.

PEPOSO DELL’IMPRUNETA

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kg beef chuck, neck, or any cut suitable for braising 
  • 250 ml red wine, preferably Chianti
  • Glug of olive oil (3 tablespoons)
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed 
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed peppercorns (seems like a lot, but the pepper really is the star of the show!) 
  • 300-400 ml water

 

PREPARATION

  1. Cut beef into bite sized chunks. 
  2. Not a mandatory step, but for tender and juicer meat, marinate the beef in the wine overnight. If not overnight, at least 1 hour in the fridge. 
  3. Heat the oil in a pan (a heavy bottom cast iron works best). 
  4. Drain the meat from the wine, reserving the wine for later. 
  5. Brown the meat on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the meat in the pan–best to do it in batches if necessary–otherwise it will steam rather than brown. 
  6. Once the meat is all browned, add the garlic, tomato puree, pepper, wine, and water, enough to just barely cover the meat. Season with salt. 
  7. Bring to boil and simmer, uncovered, on lowish heat for 3 1/2 hours until the meat is super tender. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Once the meat is tender and well-flavored, it’s ready to serve. 
  8. Serve with cannellini beans, boiled potatoes, polenta, or Tuscan bread.  
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