Wipe the meat with a damp cloth. Combine the ginger, flour, salt, and pepper, and rub mixture into meat. Heat oil in a large heavy pot; add the meat and brown it well on all sides. Add the onions, tomatoes, stock, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and let simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is tender. Add figs for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Place meat on serving platter and surround with figs. Let cooking liquid in pot cool slightly, the remove all surface grease possible. Reheat and serve separately to spoon over slices of meat. per Diane Lazarus