Beef Baked with Yogurt & Black Pepper

Ever since the Moghuls came to India, there has been a method of cooking that Indians refer to as dum. Meat (or rice for that matter) is partially cooked in a heavy pot and then covered with a flat lid. At this stage the pot and lid are sealed with a ‘rope’ of very stiff dough. The pot is placed over a gentle fire – generally the last of the charcoals – and more hot charcoals are spread over the lid. The meat proceeds to cook very slowly until it is tender, often in small amounts of