Kitfo
Here's a simplified version of our favorite tartare, inspired by our time in Ethiopia. Kitfo can also be cooked and has its own unique names - tire, leb leb, geba yale and yebesele - according to the degree of cooking. It is traditionally eaten with your hands using tef crepes and braised green cabbage leaves. We serve it with lettuce. A little advice: make a lot of spiced butter; it's great to cook with and keeps for a long time.
Spiced clarified butter
⅓ cup clarified butter
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp turmeric
2 cardamom pods
½ tsp fenugreek
1 sliver cinnamon
1 pinch thyme
¼ tsp dry ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, minced
Kitfo
1 ½ lbs top round beef
1 tbsp Mitmita pepper
1 tbsp Royal Berbere
Salt, to taste
Fresh jalapeño for garnish
12 basil leaves
Lettuce leaves for serving
Method
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1
Put clarified butter in a small pot. Coarsely grind dry spices; add to the pot along with garlic and scallion. Heat on low for a few minutes; remove from heat when the butter start to smell and the garlic begins to color. Let stand 10 minutes. Filter through a fine mesh sieve or paper coffee filter. Wipe the pot with a paper towel.
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2
Cut meat into 1 to 1 ½-inch cubes then chop, not too finely, with a knife. If you use a food processor, chop the meat in 3 batches until fine but not minced.
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3
Grind chile and spices finely in a mortar. Place the strained butter in the pot and warm gently. Add ground spices, beef and salt. Mix well and serve raw if you want a tire kitfo. Otherwise, continue to cook to leb leb, geba yale or yebesele (rare, medium or well done).
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4
Garnish with chopped jalapeño and basil. Serve with lettuce leaves to make little rolls.
