Peposo, Tuscan Black Pepper Beef

I know I cook some complex meals. But this one is SO easy…but you just need to give it time. Time is what makes this fantastic.

Peposo, Tuscan Black Pepper Beef

This is the first time I’ve cooked this. I’ve done braised beef in red wine before, and never really cared for it. The secret here is…just let it cook till it is done. 3 Hours. My previous attempts resulted in tough meat that tasted like red wine. Do it right, and it ends up tender and full of flavor.

The history is that this was made by Italian tile workers who needed their cheap meats to taste better. So they slow cooked them in red wine, garlic and herbs for hours to have an edible meal.

So here we have a couple pounds of round chuck, cut in ‘fist-full’ pieces. These have a garlic paste applied, and salted. Set this aside and crush a couple/few tablespoons of black peppercorns. I used my kitchen hammer to press them down till they broke, but the bottom of a small pan works too. Don’t worry if you don’t crush them all, they will cook for 3 hours and soften up. Apply to the meat.

Add the meat to a deep pan. I have a nice brazing pan, but a dutch oven would work too. You just need something with a tight-fitting lid.

Add 2 cups of red wine. You want to go about half way up the meat. This is actually important, as the top sides cook to a nice crust. Go dry. We used Mark West Pino Noir. Stuff in some sage and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then back off to a simmer. Turn the meat every 30 minutes or so. For 3 hours.

When the meat is ‘fork tender’, meaning it falls apart when pulled apart by a fork, remove it. Boil down the wine/juices till it reduces by half.

Meanwhile, cook your base. We went with mashed cauliflower. Rice, pasta, palenta, couscous, quinoa, mashed potatoes all would be fine.

Plate the base, put a slice of beef on top. Drizzle on the reduced sauce.

Absolute heaven!