Bring the meat to room temperature, then season generously.

Put a large casserole on a high heat, add one and a half tablespoons of the oil, then sear the meat in two or three batches, until nicely golden on all sides, adding a little more oil with each new batch.

Once browned, transfer the meat to a large bowl.

Turn down the heat to medium, add the onions to the pan with a final tablespoon of oil (or a large knob of butter), and cook, stirring, for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, scrape the skin off the ginger and turmeric roots, then finely chop both and add to the onion pan.

Stir and season well.

Deseed the scotch bonnet, then finely chop it and the garlic, and stir both into the onions, along with the cinnamon stick.

In a separate small pan, gently toast the remaining spices for a minute, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder (if you don’t have one, tie up the whole spices in a muslin bundle).

Add the ground spices (or spice bag) to the onion mix, and stir to spread them about.

Return the meat to the pan, pour in enough cold water just to cover, and bring slowly up to a simmer.

Leave to cook very gently for two to three hours, until the meat is soft and falling apart.

The flavours improve over time, so make the curry in advance, skim off the excess fat once it is cooled and reheat gently.

Check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper, if necessary, as well as the juice of a lime, then serve with rice and beans, some steamed greens, and the banana chutney.