Italian-style Veal and Peppers combines tender chunks of veal braised in a rich tomato sauce with peppers and onions. This hearty stew is perfect for cold nights when you just want something simple but comforting.
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An old-school classic
Over the years, I’ve had many readers ask me for a veal and peppers recipe, as it was a dish their mother, father, or nonna used to make, and they’ve been unable to find a recipe.
This recipe is dedicated to those readers, and I hope my version of this dish comes close to the ones they remember from back in the day, and that they enjoy a bit of nostalgia in every bite of this robust stew.
Veal with peppers is excellent served with a chunk of crusty bread or served over rice pilaf. There will be enough sauce to toss with some pasta if desired. A green side is always good with dishes like this, and I recommend another old-school family favorite, Italian broccoli salad.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Veal. I’m using cubed veal stew meat. If you have difficulty finding veal, or prefer to not use it, you can 100% use beef stew meat in its place, or chuck steaks as I do in my steak pizzaiola recipe.
- Peppers. I’m using a combo of red and green bell peppers but you can use any combination of bell peppers you’d like.
- Stock. Use a low-sodium, no-sodium, or homemade chicken stock.
- Tomato. I’m using a combination of tomato paste and canned plum tomatoes that I hand crush. You can definitely use canned crushed tomatoes.
- Wine. I’m using a dry white wine, but a dry red will also work.
- Sugar and red wine vinegar. Both of these are optional, though the combination of the two adds a nice sweet acidity that’s similar to peperonata.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make veal and peppers
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Pat the veal cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on all sides, then dredge the pieces in flour.
- Sear the veal cubes with olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat for remaining veal, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. If the pot is at all dry, add a touch more oil.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water as needed if the paste begins to burn.
- Return the veal to the pot along with the bell peppers and mix well, then add the white wine and turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer while using a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
- Add the plum tomatoes, chicken stock, and oregano and once simmering, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and place in a 300°F oven to braise for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, check the veal for tenderness. If not fork tender, return to the oven for another 30 minutes and check again. Once the veal is tender, remove from the oven. If the sauce isn’t thick enough, place the pot on a burner and turn the heat to high to reduce the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a touch more chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a pinch of sugar and/or vinegar if needed, then add the parsley and serve.
Top tips
- Use a Dutch oven. I strongly suggest using a Dutch oven for this recipe as it allows you to transfer from stovetop to oven and has a heavy, tight-fitting lid that will allow the veal and peppers to braise and become very tender. You can cook this dish over low heat on the stovetop if you like. Just make sure to stir it every 20 minutes or so to avoid burning.
- Choice of protein. Veal is an ingredient that many Italian-Americans use though depending on where you live, you may not be able to find it, and some folks prefer not to use it for ethical reasons. You can absolutely use beef or even lamb for this recipe and get great results.
- Flavor. Though red wine vinegar and sugar are optional, adding them really amps up the flavor. I suggest starting with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar and dialing it up from there. Also, the flavor will intensify, and the pepper and veal stew will be even better if you allow it to sit in the fridge overnight and serve the next day.
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Veal and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 1/2 pounds veal stew meat cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging only
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 large red and green bell peppers sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon dried Sicilian oregano
- sugar optional
- red wine vinegar optional
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and make room on the middle rack for a large Dutch oven.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat the veal cubes dry and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the pieces in flour and set and sear in the pot until brown, working in batches to not overcrowd the meat. Place all of the seared veal cubes in a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion to the pot along with a pinch of salt. If the pot is dry add a touch more oil. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until very fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for five minutes. Add a splash of water if the paste starts to burn.
- Return the veal and accumulated juices to the pot along with the bell peppers and mix well. Add the white wine and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer, while the scraping the brown bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove the brown bits, then add the plum tomatoes, chicken stock, and oregano. Once the pot returns to a simmer turn off the heat and cover. Place the pot into the oven to braise. Check the veal after 2 hours for tenderness. If not fork tender, return to the oven for another 30 minutes and check again.
- Once the veal is tender remove the pot from the oven. If there is too much liquid in the pot, place the pot onto a burner and turn to high to reduce and thicken the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Tastes test and season with salt and pepper. If needed, add a pinch of sugar to balance out the peppers. Once satisfied, mix in the parsley and serve with rice, pasta, or crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Protein. This recipe can be made with beef chuck roast cubes or lamb stew meat. Just braise the meat until tender. Depending on the size of the cubes, it will take about 2-2 1/2 hours to turn fork tender.
- Sugar/Red wine vinegar. Though you don’t need to add either of these, they add a nice acidic note and sweetness to the dish, similar to peperonata.
- Make ahead. Veal and peppers, like any stew, will taste even better the next day. Simply reheat on the stovetop until hot.
- Leftovers. Veal and peppers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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