Recipe of the peposo alla Fornacina
The peposo can be considered a representative of the archeological cuisine, a dish that many chefs have had to deal with throughout their careers. It is said that Filippo Brunelleschi, when he arrived in Impruneta to supervise the production of the terracotta tiles (which would be used for the roofing of the Florence Cathedral), was bewitched by a local recipe. The “fornacini” (workers) of Impruneta, in fact, ate a dish of meat cooked in an earthenware pot. This ancient delicacy has been handed down from generation to generation ever since.
Ingredients
- 1,200 grams of beef muscle
- 300 grams of red onion
- 150 grams of carrots
- 150 grams of celery
- 2 stalks of rosemary
- the pee of one lemon
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- a bottle of Chianti
- coarse salt
- 50 grams of black peppercorn
- 10 grams of green peppercorn
- 6 cloves
- 60 grams of tomato paste
- nutmeg
- 2 dl of extra virgin olive oil
- half a pear
Preparation
Tie the muscle tightly until it is back to its original shape. Separately, make a chopped mixture of carrots, celery, onions and garlic and brown it in a saucepan with oil.
As soon as the mixture is well sautéed, add chopped rosemary and lemon peel and lay the muscle in it. Brown it well on all sides, then douse with wine, season with black pepper and cloves, season with salt and add tomato paste.
Let it simmer over medium heat with a lid on it, so that the meat is always wet from the liquid underneath the lid, until it is tender.
Once cooked, remove and set aside in a warm place. Strain the cooking liquids and add green peppercorn and a pinch of nutmeg.
Wait until the muscle is cold and then cut it into finger-high slices and put it back in the bottom, where the pears are already melting. Serve hot.
