Kitfo (ክትፎ) — Ethiopian Spiced Minced Beef with Niter Kibbeh

• 680 gbeef tenderloin (very fresh, well trimmed, chilled, and bought from a trusted butcher for raw preparation)
• 90 gniter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter)
• 6 gmitmita
• 1.5 gground korarima (Ethiopian cardamom)
• 4 gfine sea salt
• 4100% teff injera
• 240 gayib (fresh Ethiopian cottage cheese)
• 300 gcooked gomen (Ethiopian seasoned greens)

Instructions

1. 1

   Keep the beef refrigerated until the moment you begin, and chill a clean cutting board and knife for 10 minutes before chopping. Trim away all silverskin, gristle, and any exposed dry exterior surfaces, because kitfo is traditionally served raw or barely warmed and must be handled with exceptional care.

2. 2

   Cut the beef into 5 mm slices, then into thin strips, and finally chop it repeatedly with a sharp knife until it is finely minced but not pasty. Do not use a warm food processor, because it can smear the meat and create a texture closer to sausage than authentic hand-chopped kitfo.

3. 3

   Place the niter kibbeh in a small heavy skillet over low heat and warm it until melted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mitmita, ground korarima, and fine sea salt, then heat for 30 seconds so the spices bloom without scorching.

4. 4

   For classic tere kitfo, remove the skillet from the heat and fold the minced beef into the spiced niter kibbeh until every grain of meat is glossy and evenly seasoned. For leb leb kitfo, keep the skillet over very low heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the meat loses its cold chill but remains red and tender.

5. 5

   Taste the seasoning by cooking a pea-sized sample in the warm skillet, then adjust only with measured salt or mitmita if needed. Serve the kitfo immediately on warm injera with ayib and gomen alongside, because the texture is best when the butter is still fluid and aromatic.

6. 6

   If serving children, pregnant guests, older adults, or anyone immunocompromised, cook the portion fully as yebesele kitfo instead of serving it raw. Stir over medium-low heat until the beef reaches 71 C throughout, then plate it with the same injera, ayib, and gomen.