Arroz Tapado (Peruvian Layered Rice and Beef)

Finely chop the red onion, carrot, and tomato, and mince the garlic cloves.

Hard-boil the eggs, peel them, and chop them into small pieces along with the black olives.

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and sear the meat until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped onion to the same pan, and sauté until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for one additional minute.

Add the diced carrot and cook for two minutes, then stir in the tomato, ground cumin, sweet smoked paprika, and tomato paste until well combined.

Return the browned beef to the pan and pour in the water or beef stock. Simmer gently over medium-low heat until the carrots are tender and the liquid reduces to a thick, juicy consistency.

Turn off the heat, then gently stir the sliced black olives and chopped hard-boiled eggs into the beef mixture.

Grease a small bowl or ramekin. Press a layer of warm cooked rice firmly into the bottom, add a thick layer of the beef filling, and cover with a final layer of rice, pressing down gently to compact.

Invert the bowl carefully directly onto a serving plate to desand/unmold the dish into a neat dome.