Peposo is a hearty Tuscan beef stew that’s made with just 5 ingredients. Chuck roast is seared and slowly braised until tender in a sauce made from black pepper and chianti. Traditionally served with crusty bread, Peposo is also wonderful served with creamy polenta.
This post may contain affiliate links. Our disclosure policy.
The first time I had Peposo I was blown away by the incredible flavor that pepper yields after it’s been cooked for a few hours.
You may be looking at the ingredients and wondering if the 1 1/2 tablespoons of black pepper is correct; yes, it is.
The pepper is stewed with the wine and beef for over 2 hours and that allows the flavor of the pepper to mellow and morph into something truly wonderful.
Peposo, or Tuscan beef and black pepper stew, is a favorite in our home and I love the fact it requires just a few ingredients, and that after the searing, I can basically set it on the stove and allow it to cook while I tend to other things.
Oh, and the aroma of the Peposo while it’s simmering is reason enough to make it!
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
How to make peposo (Tuscan beef stew)
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Slice a 2 1/2 pound beef chuck roast into large chunks. Alternatively, you can purchase stew beef or chuck that’s already been sliced. Using a paper towel, pat the chunks until they are very dry. (Photo #1)
- Season the beef chunks with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Note: As a general rule 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of beef is what tastes good. Of course, feel free to adjust to your own tastes. (Photo #2)
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and add 8 cloves of garlic and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the garlic cloves and save them for later. Without overcrowding the pot, add the beef and begin to sear on all sides. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your pot. (Photo #3)
- After 5-6 minutes the beef should be seared and can be moved to a plate. Repeat the process for subsequent batches of beef. (Photo #4)
- Crush 1 1/2 tablespoons of black peppercorns with a mallet and add to the oil and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add 1 750ml bottle of chianti. (Photo #5)
- Once bubbling, dislodge the brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven by scraping with a wooden spoon. Let the wine bubble for 2-3 minutes then turn the heat down to medium-low. (Photo #6)
- Return the seared beef and garlic cloves to the pot and cover with the lid. Cook for 90 minutes completely covered. During this time you can check to see if anything is sticking to the bottom of the pot, but this likely won’t happen as long as you are using a heavy lid. (Photo #7)
- Remove the lid and cook for another 60-90 minutes or until the beef is tender. Be sure to stir the meat every so often and check for tenderness. The meat should be tender but not falling apart. If you wish to thicken the sauce, first remove the beef and place it on a plate. Reduce the liquid in the pot by bringing it to a boil. If the sauce thickness is to your liking, there’s no need to reduce it and you can skip the boiling step and serve with crusty Italian bread, polenta, or mashed potatoes. (Photo #8) Enjoy!
Top tips
- The pepper. Since pepper is one of the main ingredients of Peposo, it is imperative that you use coarse freshly ground pepper. I would advise against using preground pepper that comes in a pepper shaker type of container. Using a meat mallet to grind whole black peppercorns is a great option, or you can use a coarse grind setting on a peppermill. A mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder work great too.
- The wine. Chianti or any Super Tuscan or Sangiovese wine would be perfect for this Tuscan stew. Alternatively, you could use a cabernet.
- The sauce. The sauce that’s left after cooking the beef is pretty thin and that is how it is served traditionally. However, if you prefer a thicker sauce you can bring the sauce up to a boil and allow the sauce to reduce, or you can create a slurry with cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- The beef. Chuck roast is fatty so if you’d like to remove some of the fat from the dish, you can start by trimming some of the fat from the chuck. You can also remove some of the fat by skimming the top with a slotted spoon, or by using a bulb baster to remove it. When cooking the beef you want it to be tender but not falling apart so be sure to check the tenderness, especially during the last hour of cooking, to prevent it from breaking down too much.
- Making ahead. Peposo, much like Stracotto, Brassato al Barolo, and Beef Bourguignon, will taste better the next day after the flavors have had a few hours to meld in the fridge. If you’d like to make ahead, the stew will be good in the fridge for up to 3 days and you can simply reheat on the stovetop.
- Serving the peposo. Traditionally, peposo is served with crusty bread. It’s also fantastic served over creamy polenta, as pictured below, or roasted garlic mashed potatoes. A nice sauteed green like garlicky spinach, or broccoli rabe would be a perfect side.
More recipes you’ll love
If you’ve enjoyed this Peposo recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
For more never-before-seen recipe videos, become a Patreon member today!
Peposo
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds (1.1kg) chuck roast cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons (45g) olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 750ml bottle chianti
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (12g) coarse black pepper crushed with a mallet
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat the beef chunks very dry. Season with salt on all sides.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the olive oil and the garlic to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the cloves turn lightly golden. Remove the garlic cloves but save them for later.
- Add the beef without crowding the pan (work in batches). Sear the beef on all sides (about 5-6 minutes total) then place the pieces onto a plate. Repeat for subsequent batches.
- Add the black pepper to the oil and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the red wine. Once bubbling, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let the wine bubble for 2-3 minutes then turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Return the seared beef and garlic cloves to the pot and cover with the lid. Cook for 90 minutes completely covered then remove the lid and continue to cook for another 60-90 minutes or until tender. Make sure to stir the meat every so often and to check for tenderness. The meat should be tender but not falling apart.
- Once the meat is tender you can remove it to a plate and reduce the liquid in the pot by bringing it to a boil. If the liquid is thick enough to your liking, just skip the boiling step and serve with crusty Italian bread, polenta, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate-size servings.
- Cooking time will vary. Cook until the meat is very tender but not to the point that it falls apart.
- The sauce can be degreased by skimming the top or by using a bulb baster. Cutting away some of the initial fat from the chuck will also help.
- Traditionally the sauce is quite thin, but if you like it on the thicker side remove the meat at the end of cooking and bring the pot to a boil. The liquid will reduce and thicken. Alternatively, if you want more sauce, thicken it with a bit of cornstarch.
- Peposo tastes even better the next day. Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Follow Me
The Sip and Feast Cookbook
- 100+ recipes
- Essential tools and ingredients
- Entertaining ides
- Stunning photography
Making this today for Sunday dinner in my very vintage cast iron Dutch oven. So looking forward to this meal. Having with mashed potatoes and I just know the gravy will be succulent!
Hi Ellen, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!
I will definitely try this. By the way, your son is a super star kid.
Hi Marcia, thanks for the comment and kind words. I hope you enjoy the peposo!
I’m having bariatric surgery next year. This recipe will be absolutely perfect for me! Lots of protein and taste. YUM!!
Hi Pennie, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the peposo!
Your recipes have inspired me to start cooking with my Italian heritage again! This recipe was perfect in every way and even better the next day, as stated! I can’t wait to try so many more! Neither can my husband 🙂 Also, thank you so much for taking the time to make the videos, as well as adding the extra notes. They are very helpful and appreciated.
Hi Maryann, we’re so happy to hear Jim’s recipes have inspired you. It’s great to know that the videos and notes are helpful to you and we truly appreciate your comment!
Delicious! This will become one of my “go-to” dishes. After making your version, I ran across some others that included additional herbs, but it seems your version is closest to the original. Any thoughts on adding herbs such as thyme or rosemary?
Hi Michael, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the peposo! You can certainly add the herbs if you’d like, but it really doesn’t need them. There’s so much flavor already from the wine, beef, and black pepper.
Wife and I saw this on YouTube first. We’ve used this recipe (we like a merlot wine) many times and love it. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Danny, we’re so happy you and your wife enjoyed the peposo and really appreciate your comment!
This looks amazingly tasty and so easy to do!
Hi Ronnie, thanks for the comment. It is easy and one of our favorites. Hope you enjoy!
👍👍👍Your taste tester is adorable!!! 👍👍😀
Hi Barbara, thank you so much!
The second time I made it I used pork and a brown beer instead of beef and red wine. Both versions are delicious.
Hi Rudie, so happy you enjoyed this and really appreciate the comment!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago. It was delicous! The only change I made was that i put the cracked peppercorns in cheese cloth and removed it before serving. I made Tuscan bread to serve along with it.
Hi Stellar, I’m so happy you enjoyed the peposo and really appreciate the comment!
Too yummy for words! This recipe has literally left me speechless!
Hi Barbara, what a great comment, thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Peposo!
This was simply incredible. I’d never made any sort of beef stew before — mainly because I am not much of a red meat eater, however my current partner loves beef dishes. I decided to try this out, because it seemed the simplest. To my surprise, I think it was one of my favorite beef dishes ever. I think my dutch oven lid must have not been as tight as Jim’s, so I had to add some water along the way to ensure things weren’t burning too much. Otherwise, no issue. Ate it with bread and mashed potatoes one day, and rice another. Highly recommend.
Hi Rose, so happy to hear you enjoyed the Peposo and really appreciate the comment and rating!
Thank you for this amazing and easy recipe! Bought the pre-cut stew meat and put over polenta with a side of arugula. What a delicious and hearty peppery dish on rainy night. Restaurant quality! Can’t wait to taste again after it sits for a day.
Hi Jen, so happy you enjoyed the peposo and really appreciate the comment and rating!
This is one of the rare treats of flavor and rewards of cooking from scratch. I am in my eighties and this is now one of my favorite recipes. Thank you for showing me that I really haven’t reached the end of my cooking experience yet.
Hi Shirley, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the peposo! I appreciate the kind words.
Since I am limited to 5 stars, that is my rating. I made this for dinner tonight with a nondescript Italian wine from Publix, quite good on its own for $9. I need to work on thickening the sauce, but the flavor was outstanding. I did reverse the process of the meat and veggies, in that I seared the meat in the Dutch oven and sauteeed the veggies (mushrooms first followed by onion followed by carrots and celery) in a skillet. I wanted to keep every bit of beef flavor in the Dutch oven.
Excellent recipe overall, outstaning flavor!!!
Hi Paul, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the Peposo!
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious! I made mashed potatoes and green beans with olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes sauteed, then steamed a bit. Comfort food!
Hi Donna, thanks for the comment and so happy you liked the peposo!
So damn good for something so easy! Def have mashed pots and/or crusty bread. The whole fam loves which includes a 6 year old and 12 year old.
Hi Andrew, so happy you all liked the peposo and really appreciate the comment!
Wonderful and easy recipe to enjoy, thanks for sharing!
Hi Martha, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
5 minute prep time? When it says to sear each Chuck for five minutes, “in batches”. And what about chopping the garlic and prepping other ingredients? Would be so nice if prep time was accurate so I could plan and adjust accordingly
Hi Simone, yes, the prep time is 5 minutes. This includes smashing the garlic cloves and the peppercorns and potentially cutting the beef chuck if you don’t purchase chuck that’s already cubed. As far as preparation, that is all and for most people can be completed in about 5 minutes. Since searing the beef is considered cooking, that time is factored into the “cook time”. We take the accuracy of our recipes very seriously and actually demonstrate the prep on our YouTube channel so you can see for yourself how to do it and how long it actually takes.
Prep time was spot on. Searing is cooking time.
Great recipe! I just added 3 twigs of rosemary in my second try and it came out even more delicious
Thanks for the comment Tan and so happy you enjoyed!
Hi Jim,
Somehow the YouTube algorithm put this in front of me, and I couldn’t be happier. The only problem was it was the week before Thanksgiving, and I had to wait to make this.
It was worth the wait. I made it last night, and ate it today with a coarse corn meal polenta, and, well, it is delicious, and simple to make.
Thank you again! I shall check out more of your videos!
Jerry
Hi Jerry, I’m so happy you found the channel and that you enjoyed the Peposo! Thanks for watching, and I appreciate the comment!
All I can say is WOW!
SIMPLE AND EASY AND DELICIOUS.
You are a joy to watch, your son giving his reviews are so refreshing.
A lovely family.
So glad I stumbled upon this Facebook feed. PLEASE keep the recipes and videos coming!!!
Hi Angie, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and videos!