Carne Mechá a la Andaluza

Carne mechá a la Andaluza is the cold sliced roast of western Andalucía, the one you find on a family table before anyone sits down properly. In Cádiz it is often beef round, redondo de ternera, pierced and threaded with strips of tocino or bacon so the lean meat stays juicy through the long braise. That larding, mechar, is what makes it this dish and not just another pot roast.

The method that decides it is simple: brown the meat hard enough to give the sauce depth, then braise it gently and let it cool in its own juices. Slice it hot and you lose the point. Slice it cold and thin, and the fat you threaded through the meat does its work, giving you clean slices with a soft line of richness inside.

If you are far from Andalucía, use a good beef eye round or top round and unsmoked streaky bacon. Spanish tocino is best, but bacon works if it is not sweet and not heavily smoked; the sauce will taste a little more cured and smoky, so go easy with the salt. No hace falta haber pisado España. Tie it well, cook it slowly, chill it fully. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.