Kebab halla (Egyptian pot kebab, meat braised in onions)

Use large chunks of fatty meat so they do not shrink too much; dice the onions medium to large so they dissolve slowly.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, optionally with a couple of pieces of mastic.

Sear the meat a few pieces at a time without overcrowding, a few minutes per side until browned all over; remove and repeat.

Return all the meat, add a small amount of water to deglaze the browning, stir, then add all the onions and black pepper and mix well.

Turn to medium, cover tightly and braise until fork tender, checking every 10 to 15 minutes and topping up with water; tougher cuts take about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Check at about 30 minutes and again 20 minutes later; once fork tender with the onions nearly dissolved, add a little salt, mix and cook 5 more minutes.

Garnish with something green and serve with the tomato pasta and Baladi salad.