Brown the beef with patience. Set your large frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the beef mince. Break it up with a wooden spoon and let it sit, undisturbed, for a good 3-4 minutes. You want to hear a fierce sizzle and see the underside turn a deep, nutty brown. Only then should you stir. This browning, called the Maillard reaction, is the bedrock of all the flavour to come. Stir and cook until no pink remains, then tip the mince into a bowl and set aside.

Sweat the aromatics until translucent. Lower the heat to medium. In the same pan, with the residual fat, add the diced onion. Stir it around, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onion turns soft, glossy, and translucent. The smell will shift from raw to sweet and savoury. Add the garlic and both bell peppers, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers should soften but still hold a little resistance, their colour brightening.

Bloom the spices in the pan. Add the tomato purée, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and chilli flakes if using. Stir constantly for one full minute. This step is non-negotiable. You will smell the spices 'waking up'—the aroma will become potent, earthy, and intoxicating. If the paste begins to stick, add a splash of the beef stock to keep it moving.

Build the saucy base. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the remaining beef stock. Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any final flavourful bits. Return the browned beef to the pan. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer—you want lazy, burbling bubbles, not a frantic boil.

Add the rice and let it steam. Sprinkle the rinsed rice evenly over the top of the saucy beef mixture. Do not stir it in yet. Press it down gently with the back of your spoon so it is mostly submerged. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Listen for a soft, rhythmic simmer. Do not lift the lid—you’ll release the steam needed to cook the rice.

Create the golden cheese lid. After 20 minutes, remove the lid. The rice should be tender and the liquid mostly absorbed. The surface will look slightly steamy and wet. Taste a grain of rice—it should be just cooked. If it is still chalky in the centre, add a splash more stock, replace the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the rice is perfect, scatter the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the entire surface of the skillet.

Melt and brown to perfection. Replace the lid for one minute to encourage the cheese to begin melting. Then, remove the lid and switch the heat off. The residual heat will continue to melt the cheese into a blanket. For a bubbly, golden top, you can pop the pan under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Watch it carefully—you want patches of golden brown, not burnt. Scatter over the fresh coriander just before serving.