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Yiouvetsi of the Yucatan

Ingredients
16 oz lamb from the leg
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbl tomato paste
18 oz water
1/4 cup white wine
4 oz lime juice or orange juice
a shot of tequila
1 Habanero pepper
1/4 Tsp ground cumin
1/4 Tsp ground coriander
8 oz kritharaki, manestra or orzo pasta
2 Tbl cilantro
olive oil
salt
black pepper
Monterey Jack cheese
Method
Dice the onions. Smash the garlic into a paste. De-seed and chop the Habanero. Carve the lamb into 2 inch chunks. Coarsely chop the cilantro. Dry off the chunks with paper towels.

Heat up a Dutch oven over a medium flame. Pour 3 Tbl of olive oil into the pan. Throw the lamb in and brown it - wondrously. Remove the lamb from the pan and de-grease the pan. Add 3 more Tbl olive oil to the pan and throw in the onions, salt them down and fry them until they become soft and take on a little color. Introduce the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the lime juice, water and tequila. Stir in the tomato paste. Return the lamb to the pan and throw in the habanero, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. (Mark the level of the liquid with a wooden spoon and a rubber band wrapped around it, moving the band to the liquid level.) Bring the contents of the pan to a rolling boil, cut the heat to a very slow simmer, cover, and braise until the lamb is tender, 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Turn the lamb over and stir the liquid every 30 minutes during the braising period.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After braising, check the liquid-level with the wooden spoon, adjusting it - if needed. Stir in the kritharaki and sprinkle in the cilantro. Season with more salt, but be careful. Cover and place the pan into the oven until the pasta swells up, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir, cover and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Turn the contents of the pot out onto a large serving platter. Grate Jack cheese over the pasta and the meat. Allow the cheese to melt.

note
5-6 chopped, canned tomatoes can be substituted for the paste.