Name: Stracotto di Manzo “Peposo” (Peppery Tuscan Beef Stew)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1½ cups (or as needed) mild olive oil; 6 cloves garlic, finely minced; 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes with ¾ cup of the juices; 2 cups dry red wine; ½ pound pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice; 3 large onions, cut into medium dice (4 to 5 cups); 3 tablespoons freshly ground pepper; 3 pounds beef chuck or brisket, trimmed well and cut into 2-inch cubes; Salt; 1 cup Beef Stock

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Mediterranean Kitchen

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 1998

About

This tongue-tingling beef ragout is a specialty of the little hill town of L’Impruneta. The tomatoes are less prominent than in the preceding three dishes because the wine and black pepper provide strong competition. While it is often accompanied by boiled potatoes, I like to serve the stew with slices of grilled or toasted country bread, the better to sop up all the wonderfully rich, peppery sauce.