Peposo

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 2 ½ kg roast beef, for braising
• 20 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 6 sprigs rosemary
• 10 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bottles of dry red wine, 750 ml
• 1 bottle of blackcurrant juice, 750 ml
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 onions, cut into wedges or slices
• 6 tomatoes (egg), roughly diced
• 600 ml tomato(s), chunky, from the can
• 150 g bacon (pancetta), or smoked belly, diced
• 1 tsp paprika powder, spicy, smoked
• possibly harissa, pulbiber or chili

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 6 hours; Total time approx. 6 hours 30 minutes

Tuscan pepper pot

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Cut the meat into larger pieces, approximately 5 x 5 cm. Layer all the ingredients in a roasting pan. First, place a layer of meat, then arrange a few sliced ​​garlic cloves, onion slices, and tomato slices on top. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of pepper and a little paprika over the meat, season lightly with salt, and place 1-2 sprigs of rosemary and thyme on top. Add all the ingredients to the pan in this order. Then pour in the wine and juice. The meat should be covered with the liquid. Cover the roasting pan with the lid and, if necessary, a double layer of aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 5-6 hours. You can also reduce the temperature to 90°C and cook the pan overnight for about 10 hours—I’ve done this before when serving the pan for brunch. The meat becomes wonderfully tender, melts in your mouth, and the sauce has a wonderful aroma. Tip: If you want it to be even more hearty, you can also add soaked beans to the pot. I find a mixture of red wine and blackcurrant juice more delicious than just red wine. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can also use beef broth and juice.