Carne Mechada

1. Cut the meat into large cubes.

2. Cover with cold water in a large pan and bring to boil.

3. Remove scum and simmer until cooked, reserving the liquid.

4. When the meat is cool, shred each piece by hand into tiny strips (it's a lousy job, butsomeone has to do it - red-haired bearded individuals are ideal candidates).

5. In a frying pan gently fry onions and garlic, until soft but not brown.

6. Add shredded meat, chopped cilantro (use just the leaves, not the stems), tomatoes, spice mixture and reserved liquid.

7. Simmer gently until liquid is reduced and the sauce thickens (about 1 hour).

8. Season to taste. Serve on a bed of boiled rice.

Spice mix:

Combine 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1 1/2 tbs chili powder (this is European chili powder which has nothing to do with the US variety - best equivalent is Cayenne pepper), 1 tbs paprika. The hotness of the dish is controlled by the amount of chili. The above proportions produce a hot dish (as it should be), but not deadly hot.