Italian Peppered Beef Stew (Peposo)
){kind=link}
James Carrier
Notes: John Ash, culinary director of Bonterra and Fetzer Vineyards, adds a generous quantity of garlic and cracked pepper to this beef stew. The gremolata adds a fresh finish of lemon and garlic. Start the polenta about 30 minutes before stew is done. The stew can be prepared through step 2 up to 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and chill. Reheat over medium-high heat, covered, stirring occasionally.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Brown beef. Discard fat.
Step 2
2
Add wine, canned tomatoes (including juices), basil, garlic, and 1 tablespoon cracked pepper to pan with beef. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender when pierced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim off and discard fat. Add salt and up to 1/2 tablespoon more cracked pepper to taste.
Step 3
3
Spoon polenta onto dinner plates or a large shallow bowl or rimmed platter. With a slotted spoon, lift out beef and mound onto center of polenta. Measure remaining pan juices; if less than 3 cups, add water to make that amount, return to pan, and bring to a boil; add salt to taste and pour juices into a serving bowl. Pass pan juices to add to taste. Garnish stew with oven-dried tomato slices and gremolata.
Step 4
4
No-mess browning:
Step 5
5
Place meat in a heavy-bottomed 5- to 6-quart pan. Add 1/2 cup water; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer briskly over medium heat until meat is gray on the outside and has rendered juices and fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 6
6
Uncover pan, increase heat to high, and stir often until most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir often until meat juices have caramelized and darkened and meat has browned in the rendered fat, about 5 minutes longer. If drippings and the brown film on pan begin to scorch, reduce heat to medium.
Step 7
7
Nutritional analysis per serving of stew.
Ingredients
4 pounds fat-trimmed boned beef chuck or other cut suitable for stewing, rinsed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups dry red wine such as Zinfandel or Merlot
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 3 tablespoons dried basil
18 peeled garlic cloves
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh-cracked or coarse-ground black pepper
Salt
Directions
Step 1
1
Brown beef. Discard fat.
Step 2
2
Add wine, canned tomatoes (including juices), basil, garlic, and 1 tablespoon cracked pepper to pan with beef. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender when pierced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim off and discard fat. Add salt and up to 1/2 tablespoon more cracked pepper to taste.
Step 3
3
Spoon polenta onto dinner plates or a large shallow bowl or rimmed platter. With a slotted spoon, lift out beef and mound onto center of polenta. Measure remaining pan juices; if less than 3 cups, add water to make that amount, return to pan, and bring to a boil; add salt to taste and pour juices into a serving bowl. Pass pan juices to add to taste. Garnish stew with oven-dried tomato slices and gremolata.
Step 4
4
No-mess browning:
Step 5
5
Place meat in a heavy-bottomed 5- to 6-quart pan. Add 1/2 cup water; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer briskly over medium heat until meat is gray on the outside and has rendered juices and fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 6
6
Uncover pan, increase heat to high, and stir often until most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir often until meat juices have caramelized and darkened and meat has browned in the rendered fat, about 5 minutes longer. If drippings and the brown film on pan begin to scorch, reduce heat to medium.
Step 7
7
Nutritional analysis per serving of stew.
Search All of Sunset's Recipes
The Latest
This Oakland Kitchen’s Makeover Was Inspired by the Homeowner’s Late Mother
