Black Pepper Beef Stew Food

PEPOSA DELL'IMPRUNETA (TUSCAN BLACK PEPPER BEEF)

Steps:

• Place meat in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle all sides generously with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
• Place chopped garlic and a pinch of salt in a mortar and mash with pestle until pastelike. Add tomato paste; mash until blended. Transfer mixture into bowl with beef and rub onto all sides of meat. Add crushed peppercorns and ground pepper. Distribute evenly over all sides of beef. Transfer to a deep skillet or Dutch oven bone side down. Tuck sage leaves, rosemary, and dry bay leaves between pieces of meat. Carefully add wine along the side of the pan to avoid washing over the top of the meat.
• Place pan over high heat and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly. Cook until meat is fork tender, turning pieces every 30 minutes or so, about 3 1/2 hours. Transfer pieces of meat to a warm bowl.
• Increase heat to high and bring braising liquid to a boil. Simmer until liquid is reduced by about half or until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bones from meat.
• When sauce is thickened, transfer meat back to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and spoon sauce over meat. Cook until until heated through, about 5 minutes.

BLACK PEPPER BEEF

Steps:

• Bring the beef to room temperature. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt. Dredge the beef lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
• Heat about 1 tablespoon EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef and transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tablespoon EVOO to the pot and brown the remaining beef. Return all the beef to the pot and add the stock and enough water to cover the beef. Stir in the garlic and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in the red wine, tomato paste and pepper and cook until the beef is tender enough to fall apart and the sauce is thick, 2 to 3 hours more.
• When the beef is almost finished cooking, cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot. Cut the Taleggio into cubes and mash into the potatoes with enough milk to reach the desired consistency. Stir in the sage and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the beef and sauce among bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
• Cook's Note: The beef stew can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat gently, adding water as needed to thin the sauce.