Peposo dell’Impruneta: the fuel for Brunelleschi’s cupola

Peposo dell’Impruneta is one of the oldest Florentine dishes that you can still find on menus since centuries, and one of my personal favorites. Not only is it supremely scrumptious, it also has strong connections one of Florence’s most iconic monuments: Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome. What links this masterpiece of renaissance architecture to the traditional Tuscan dish? I will sketch the story below, and include my peposo recipe for good measure.

Brunelleschi’s dome and the peposo recipe

In 1425, Filippo Brunelleschi oversaw the construction of the Duomo’s cupola. The challenges he faced were not all structural: Brunelleschi was greatly irritated by the amount of time the workers consumed at lunch. To get their daily grub, they would have to descend the scaffolding around the dome and go to the inns, before having to climb all the way back up.

The solution to this inconvenience came to Brunelleschi during his visit to the furnaces of Impruneta, a town south of Florence known for its production of terracotta and bricks. There, the kiln workers prepared their lunch by putting their pieces of beef in traditional clay pots with red wine and black peppercorns. The pots were then left for a few hours at the mouth of the kilns while the bricks were baked within.

Brunelleschi decided to set up two rooms upon the scaffolding by the cupola. Within these rooms, the workers could eat their lunch without the arduous journey to and from the ground beneath. The savvy architect then expanded his orders from Impruneta to include peposo alongside his regular import of bricks, and the whole load was winched up to the builders’ new chambers. Cunning, no?

My recipe of peposo dell’Impruneta

The original peposo recipe contains only three ingredients: stew beef, black peppercorns, and Chianti wine. Tomato sauce is not typically added (though some people break this norm) because in 1425 there were no tomatoes in Florence – they arrived later after the discovery of the Americas.

Some people add a clove of garlic, some add extra virgin olive oil (know more about extra virgin olive oil in Florence !), some a smattering of sage or rosemary. Personally, I add a diced onion to make it sweeter. These are variations that nevertheless fit well with tradition.

You would ideally use a traditional Tuscan terracotta pot, but if you haven’t one to hand then choose a regular metal-bottomed one with a lid and the stamina to cope with fairly long cooking-times.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 600g of stew beef
• 500ml of red Chianti wine
• A spoonful of black peppercorns
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preparation:

Cut the beef into 3-4cm pieces and crush the peppercorns with a spoon. Place the meat in your pot along with the pepper and a pinch of salt. Cover it all with red wine.

Cook for about an hour and a half over a low flame, keeping the lid in place. The meat needs to be soft and soaked through with wine, but some liquid should remain. The peppercorns should be melt-in-the-mouth tenderness. If not enough wine remains after cooking, add more.

Serve the peposo warm, perhaps accompanied by slices of fresh Tuscan bread.

Still hungry and in the mood to cook Florentine food? Also check my ribollita traditional recipe.

Best restaurants where to eat peposo in Florence

Here is a short list of some of my favorite restaurants that make a great peposo stew. If you know some other places that you would recommend, leave a comment and share your tips. I’m always looking for new recommendations! The quest for the yummiest food is never over.

Da Burde

One of Florence’s historic restaurants, where generations of Florentines have come for lunch with their families (included me). Burde is particularly famous for its Florentine steak, but also for its tender, delicious peposo. It’s located on the outskirts of the city, about a 30-minute drive from the historic center, at Via Pistoiese 154. It’s not the easiest to get to (I recommend a taxi; there’s also bus n. 35, but it’s not very frequent), but I assure you it’s worth it. It’s only open for lunch (except Friday evenings) and is closed every Sunday.

Budellino

One of my favorite places for a quick lunch when I’m in the Uffizi – Piazza della Signoria area. It’s located in via de’ Neri: the whole street is dedicated to street food, with 3 Antico Vinaio sandwich shops, but my favorite spot of the street is Budellino. They are mostly famous for their lampredotto, which I’m not a big fan of, but I love their peposo, definitely one of the best ones I’ve ever had. I am also a big fan of their francesina, another traditional Florentine beef stew.

La Casalinga

A little gem in the Santo Spirito neighborhood, still left unchanged since the ‘70s. La Casalinga is always busy with locals, especially for lunch, because makes simple, delicious home-style like Florentine food, and it’s even quite cheap. The peposo is always on the menu, but I recommend you also to try the dishes of the day, made with seasonal ingredients, so they change often. La Casalinga is in via dei Michelozzi 9R, a cute, charming alley next to piazza Santo Spirito.