Season the cubed chuck meat with salt and let sit for 10 minutes, then pat dry.
Grind up a bunch of whole peppercorns to a rough consistency.
Brown the meat in batches to get a nice sear on all sides, then remove from the pan.
Add the ground pepper to the pan and cook for a couple minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the red wine to help break up the tomato paste.
Add the seared meat and its juices back to the pan, along with the smashed garlic cloves.
Bring to a boil, cover, and bake at 275°F for 2 hours.
Remove the lid and simmer on the stovetop for another hour to thicken the stew.
Serve the stew over a bed of mashed potatoes or polenta.
