Kitfo
Very fresh, sinew-free beef hand-minced fine and mixed with warm niter kibbeh and fiery mitmita spice, traditionally eaten raw the same day it's prepared. Credited to Ethiopia's Gurage people, real food-safety considerations around raw ground beef mean it's also legitimately served leb leb, just warmed through in the pan until the color barely changes, or yebesele, fully cooked, both common restaurant options rather than lesser substitutes.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) fresh lean beef tenderloin, finely hand-minced
- 3-4 tbsp niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter), melted
- 1-2 tsp mitmita
- 1/2 tsp ground korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)
- Salt, to taste
- Ayib (fresh Ethiopian cheese), gomen (collard greens), and injera, for serving
Steps
- Trim all sinew and fat, and mince the beef very fine by hand.
- Mix with the melted niter kibbeh, mitmita, korerima, and salt.
- Serve immediately, raw, with injera, ayib, and gomen, for the traditional tere style.
- For a leb leb option, warm the mixed kitfo in a skillet over low heat, stirring, just until it barely changes color, without browning.
- For a yebesele option, cook it through fully like ground beef.