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Ethiopia, Middle East and Africa · Kitfo (Leb Leb)

Hand-Chopped Tenderloin Kitfo with Homemade Niter Kibbeh

Addis Ababa kitfo-house style: knife-chopped tenderloin finished leb leb in slow-cooked niter kibbeh and freshly toasted, ground mitmita.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h
Firming the beef+ 15 min
DifficultyHard
About servingsLeb leb is partly raw beef. Use a very fresh whole cut from a trusted butcher, chop it the same day and keep it cold. Children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system should cook it in step 6 until no pink remains.

Method

  1. Make the niter kibbeh: put the butter, chopped shallot, smashed garlic, sliced ginger, fenugreek, holy basil and oregano in a small saucepan (14 cm) and simmer over low heat for without stirring. When the foam has settled, the milky bits on the bottom are pale gold and it smells nutty, strain it through a sieve lined with kitchen paper.

    Add in this stepUnsalted butter 90 gShallot ½Garlic cloves 2Fresh ginger 8 gFenugreek seeds ¼ tspDried holy basil or basil (instead of besobela) ½ tspDried oregano (instead of koseret) ½ tsp

    low heat

  2. Make the mitmita: put the stemmed dried chilies, the seeds from the cardamom pods (discard the husks) and the cloves in a dry pan and toast over medium-low heat for , until the chilies darken and smell toasty. Tip onto a plate at once to cool, then grind finely with part of the salt. If it smokes, it has burnt; start again.

    Add in this stepDried red chilies 3Green cardamom pods 3Cloves 1Salt ½ tsp

    medium-low heat

  3. Trim the tenderloin of all fat and silver skin and put it in the freezer for to firm up. Slice it 2 mm thick, cut the slices into thin strips, then chop repeatedly with a sharp knife until very fine. Put the chopped beef straight back in the fridge.

  4. Warm 1 tablespoon of the niter kibbeh in a 24 cm pan over medium heat, add the greens, green chili and the rest of the salt and cook for into a soft, bright green gomen.

    Add in this stepCollard greens or kale 160 gGreen chili 1Salt ¼ tsp

    medium heat

  5. Drain the ayib or ricotta in a sieve, then crumble it lightly with a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of your mitmita.

    Add in this stepAyib or ricotta 100 gLemon ¼

  6. Warm most of the remaining niter kibbeh in a 20 cm pan over low heat, take it off the heat and add mitmita to taste. Fold in the beef, return to low heat and toss for for leb leb, or more for fully cooked. Serve on injera with the gomen and ayib, straight away.

    Add in this stepBeef tenderloin or sirloin, in one piece, very fresh 240 gInjera 2

    low heat

Cook's tip

Make a big batch of niter kibbeh: it keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge, and the mitmita stays fragrant for about a month in a sealed jar. Chopping by knife keeps the beef juicy and gives the classic texture that a grinder smears away.

Cooking it at camp

Make the niter kibbeh and mitmita at home. At camp, keep the beef below 4 °C in the cooler and cook only the fully done version on the burner to be safe.