There are few dishes as universally welcomed at the table as a bowl of tender meat, poultry, and vegetables that have been simmered in flavorful broth. While some stews are more brothy than others, the main difference between a soup and a stew is that the latter is cooked in less liquid, resulting in a broth that is reduced and sometimes thickened, making it more intensely flavored.
I’m sharing two stews today. One is a very old recipe from Tuscany, which is an example of how few ingredients can combine to create a stunning result. The particular recipe is from longtime friend Rolando Beramendi, food importer and author of Autentico. The other is from noted food writer and recipe developer Yewande Komolafe, whose book My Everyday Lagos came out last year. You should have both dishes in your repertoire as they’re easy to make and result in deep flavor. Both cookbooks are excellent as well.
We Americans love peanut butter, so it’s a mystery to me why more of us haven’t embraced the repertoire of West African groundnut stews. I’m particularly drawn to two versions. The first is from Yewande Komolafe, frequent contributor to The New York Times’ cooking section. Her Vegetable Maafé recipe feels perfect for this time of year. The dish starts with onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato paste, which are cooked together to create a flavor base. Then a can of whole tomatoes is added, along with vegetable stock or water, to create the brothy environment in which the vegetables will cook. For this recipe, Komolafe uses green plantains, carrots, butternut squash, and a Scotch Bonnet chile for zest. Peanut butter is loosened with a bit of broth, and stirred into the pot along with a bit of tamarind and a little fish sauce. Greens are added last. Komolafe describes the result as “balancing sweet, savory, earthy and spicy” notes. It’s a great make-ahead dish because it only gets better as the flavors marry. If you want to make a chicken-based peanut butter stew, I recommend this Poulet Mafé from Pierre Thiam. Pierre is a California-based chef from Senegal.
The peposo is one of those dishes with a huge flavor upside created by the synergy of long-cooked beef, copious amounts of black pepper, and Chianti Classico. Because the pepper is so intrinsic to the dish, it is important to use fresh peppercorns. Some will be used whole, and some will be crushed. Some might characterize the dish as brown food or “ugly delicious.” I actually think it’s beautiful because the combination of the pepper and wine make the dish nearly black. It’s a singular stew. A friend recently had this exact version at an event and said it may be one of the greatest dishes she’s ever eaten. That said, Rolando Beramendi’s version has a few elements to give it greater interest. He uses a lot of pepper. More than in many recipes. He uses a soffrito, the slow-cooked combination of onions, celery, and carrots that is often seen in Italian recipes. And he adds clove and juniper to the stew, as well as an herb bundle. I really want you to make this dish, and I encourage you to do it Beramendi’s way at least once.
But if you’re just interested in getting something in the pot, maybe even in a slow cooker, here is a recipe made with short ribs. And if you read Italian, here is one that is the simplest version — so simple you can probably run the recipe through Google translate.
I’ve interviewed each of these authors. You can find the links to them here:
Yewande Komolafe, My Everyday Lagos
Pierre Thiam, Simply West African
Tuscan Black Pepper Stew from Rolando Beramendi’s cook Autentico. Photo by Elizabeth Minchilli
Tellicherry Black Pepper Beef Stew from Rolando Beramendi’s Autentico
Il Peposo alla Fornacina dell’Impruneta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 g) muscolo or beef top shank, or other cuts like top round, bottom round, or chunk roast with lots of cartilage and a sinewy consistency
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml | 27 g) cooking extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (90 g) Soffritto (see below)
- 3 tablespoons (27 g) whole Tellicherry black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) crushed Tellicherry black peppercorns
- 3 juniper berries
- 2 whole cloves
- 6 cups (1500 ml | 1500 g) Chianti Classico
- 3 sage sprigs and 3 rosemary sprigs, tied into a small bundle with butcher's string
- q.b. fine sea salt [qb means “to taste”]
For the soffrito
- 2 cups (500 ml | 440 g) mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (275 g) very finely diced white onions (about 1 large onion)
- 2 cups (275 g) very finely diced carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
- 2 cups (275 g) very finely diced celery (about 8 medium stalks—preferably the lighter, inner stalks)
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- q.b. coarse sea salt and crushed Tellicherry black peppercorns
Instructions
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Vegetables are very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or set aside to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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Cut the meat into 1- to 2-inch cubes. Save the tendons and sinewy parts to flavor the oil.
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In a large terra-cotta dish with a lid (or in a Dutch oven, if you don't have one), combine the olive oil and the tendons and sinewy parts of the meat. Cook over medium-high heat until they are crisp and fried, about 5 minutes. Remove the bits with a spoon, then start to add the meat, in batches, turning the pieces occasionally until they are golden, about 10 minutes.
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Transfer the browned pieces to a plate before adding the next batch. Once the meat is all nice and brown, return all the pieces to the pot and mix in the soffritto. Once the soffritto is warmed through, add the whole and crushed peppercorns, juniper berries, and cloves. Pour in the red wine and add the herb bundle.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer, stirring often, until the wine is reduced and the meat is tender, about 3 hours. The peposo should be very dark, glossy, and thick. I often serve this dish with soft tomato sauce and toss with spaghetti.
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Put the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in a large skillet, and stir to coat evenly with the oil. Place over high heat until the oil is hot and the vegetables start to fry, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep golden brown, the celery has turned from white to a pale gold, and the vegetables are very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or set aside to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.