Picchiapò
Picchiapò is Roman thrift and flavor rolled into one frugal, saucy dish. Born out of the tradition of reusing stewed beef—often leftover allesso di bollito—picchiapò turns what might be a bland remnant into something bold and craveable. It’s made by simmering shredded meat in a tomato and onion sauce that’s sweet, spicy, and just messy enough to demand a napkin pressed against the chest. These days, picchiapò is often prepared from scratch rather than crafted from leftovers. My favorite version is at Trattoria da Cesare al Casaletto, where there are hunks of meat rather than pulpy strands. For more flavorful beef, season the meat with salt 4 hours and up to 24 hours before cooking.
12 ingredients
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Picchiapò
Ingredients (12)
Ingredients (12)
Instructions
Season the beef (1 lb) with salt. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Place the beef in a large pot with water to cover.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, skimming off any foam that rises to the top, about 30 minutes.
Add the wine (1 cup), carrots (2), celery (2 stalks), one of the onions, the peppercorns (10 whole), and the cloves (2 whole) and continue to simmer until the beef is fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours.
Set the meat aside to cool in the cooking liquid. Once cool, cut it into 2-inch pieces. Strain the broth and reserve it for another dish.
Finely chop the remaining onion. Heat the olive oil (2 Tbsp) and onion in a large pan over low heat.
Season with a heavy pinch of salt and cook until very soft, about 20 minutes.
Add the peperoncino (1) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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