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Peposo is a traditional Tuscan Beef Stew originating from Florence. It truly is the simplest stew you’ll ever make yet it has so much flavour. Made with garlic, lots of black pepper and a whole bottle of red wine, super delicious and perfect served with creamy polenta.
Peposo is one of my favourite Tuscan dishes (ok, I know I have many favourites) but this recipe just transports you straight to Florence.
It’s so utterly simple that you just can’t go wrong.
It’s made with beef chuck, garlic, black pepper and red wine, that’s it!
I know what you’re thinking, it’s just too simple?
But trust me, don’t be tempted to throw in any herbs, veggies, chopped tomatoes or stock, just don’t, not until you’ve made this the traditional way at least once and you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say it’s perfect the way it is!
What does it taste like?
There’s one whole bottle of red wine in this stew (Chianti or Sangiovese) so it’s so rich in flavour with a delicious spicy kick from the black pepper (hence the name Peposo).
It may seem like a lot of pepper but don’t be put off, it mellows as it cooks in the red wine just enough to give the stew some heat.
The meat is super tender but not completely falling apart, it still has a little bite to it.
And because the beef isn’t dusted in flour like a lot of other stews the sauce doesn’t thicken the same as other beef stews you may be more familiar with.
Again, trust me it’s still absolutely delicious this way and perfect with creamy polenta or crusty bread.
How to make Peposo (Tuscan beef stew) – step by step
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, brown the beef on all sides for a minute or two (you might need to do this in batches so there is enough room) (photo 1).
Add the beef and juices back to the pot (if browning in batches) and add the red wine, garlic, salt and pepper (photo 2-4).
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on a medium-low heat for 1.5 hours, uncover the pot and continue to simmer the stew for another 1.5 hours until the liquid has reduced slightly (photo 5-7).
Top tip: once the stew is uncovered check it every so often and give it a stir to make sure it doesn’t stick or the meat at the top dries out.
The beef should be tender but not completely falling apart. Serve with creamy polenta and crusty bread (photo 8).
Serving suggestions
Traditionally this beef stew is simply eaten with some crusty bread but we often serve it with creamy polenta, slow cook polenta (30 minutes rather than 5 minutes) so it’s extra smooth and creamy, so delicious!
Other than creamy polenta grilled or baked polenta is also delicious served with this! Follow our recipe for baked polenta fries and cut the polenta into bigger slices instead.
You could also serve this stew with cannellini beans warmed up in a saucepan or roasted or mashed potatoes and lots of crusty bread!
Top tips for making this pepper beef stew
- The stew sauce is quite thin but that’s how it should be but if you prefer a thicker sauce simply whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 1-2 tsp of water then add it to the stew at the end of cooking to thicken.
- Traditionally this stew is cooked in a terracotta pot but I like to use a Dutch oven. You can use any large pot you have as long as it has a lid to cover it.
- Use any good stewing beef for this, traditionally beef shank is used, I use beef chuck cut into chunks.
- Use freshly ground black pepper, don’t use pre-ground pepper that you can buy at the supermarket because it doesn’t taste the same.
- Whatever you do, do not use cooking wine! Use Chianti or Sangiovese red or a good red wine that you would happily drink.
More Italian recipes you might like
- Pasta Al Forno (Baked Pasta)
- Italian Beef Ragu – A Classic Recipe
- Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
- Walnut Sauce – Salsa di Noci
- Italian Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Shoulder
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Step By Step Photos Above
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Peposo - Tuscan Red Wine Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck, or shank or stewing beef (1 kg) cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 bottle red wine, Chianti or Sangiovese if possible
- 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes or kosher salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot, brown the beef on all sides for a minute or two (you might need to do this in batches so there is enough room).
- Add the beef and juices back to the pot (if browning in batches) and add the red wine, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on a medium-low heat for 1.5 hours, uncover the pot and continue to simmer the stew for another 1.5 hours until the liquid has reduced slightly.
- Top tip: once the stew is uncovered check it every so often and give it a stir to make sure it doesn't stick or the meat at the top dries out.
- The beef should be tender but not completely falling apart. Serve with creamy polenta and crusty bread.
Video
Notes
- The stew sauce is quite thin but that’s how it should be, if you prefer a thicker sauce simply whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 1-2 tsp of water then add it to the stew at the end of cooking to thicken.
- Traditionally this stew is cooked in a terracotta pot but I like to use a Dutch oven. You can use any large pot you have as long as it has a lid to cover it.
- Use any good stewing beef for this, traditionally beef shank is used, I use beef chuck cut into chunks.
- Use freshly ground black pepper, don't use pre-ground pepper that you can buy at the supermarket because it doesn't taste as good.
- Whatever you do, do not use cooking wine! Use Chianti or San Genovese red or a good red wine that you would happily drink.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely gorgeous – thanks so much. Sure it’ll taste even better with a bit more practice. 2nd try on the go now. Can’t wait…..
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
So, I was just in Florence and just had a stew exactly like this at one of my favorite restaurants. I was so obsessed with it that I googled “beef peppercorn stew” (not knowing what I ate) and this recipe came up.
I made it tonight and all I can say is THANK YOU for bringing me back to Florence for the night. I loved this so much.
I did add 2 teaspoons of whole peppercorns to this recipe (because that beef stew I had over there also had whole peppercorns) and if you haven’t tried that, it’s worth it.
Thank you again.
First time making this dish. I have had it when I lived in Italy. Always good. This recipe was way too salty. No one liked it due to the saltiness. I had to later make adjustments to lessen the saltiness. Extremely disappointed as I am a very good cook. The first time I make something, I follow the recipe exactly.
Hi Terrill, one teaspoon of sea salt flakes would definitely not overseason a whole stew. You must’ve added a lot more for that to happen 🙁
Tried this out for the first time the other night and was blown away by the flavour. I found the sauce a bit too thin on the first serving but after sitting overnight in the fridge, the sauce thickened up a bit and the flavour was even further enhanced. The leftovers were better than the night it was prepared! Definitely going into my regular rotation.
We are in the midst of the 2021 Texas Winter Storm and I made this for dinner last night. I only had one pound of meat so I cut the recipe in half…..It was absolutely wonderful – both my husband and I said we would order this in a restaurant. Served it over creamy polenta – and I look forward to serving this at a dinner party! Can’t thank you enough for this fabulous recipe!!
Oh gosh, hope you’re safe and well over there. I’m so happy you enjoyed it, it’s such an old and simple recipe, I love it too!
Excellent dish. I followed the recipe but added 2 bay leaves and used strip steaks. Strips this week were cheaper any other cut. We are foodies and this is one of the best Sunday meals we have had in years.
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it twice now. The flavors are very rich and love that it’s fairly simple to put together.
It’s October, it’s cold, so peposo is EXACTLY what you need! We made this the other night, alongside your creamy polenta…it is so rich with the wine and so comforting with the polenta! Absolutely delicious and now a winter favourite to super satisfy on a chilly day.
Aw I’m so happy you enjoyed it it’s perfect comfort food for this time of year!
ricetta sensazionale
L’ho già fatto ed è un successo qui nella mia città in Brasile
We started our honeymoon just outside Florence and this took us back to Fiesole! What a perfectly lovely fancy/simple recipe.
Aw I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I’ve had this in Florence and it was so delicious, can’t wait to try this recipe!
It’s really delicious and so simple, hope you enjoy it!