Ethiopian Kitfo Recipe

Kitfo is an Ethiopian dish of raw, spiced beef. It is made by slowly heating clarified butter in a pan over very low heat then adding the spices and finely minced beef. The beef is mixed and well incorporated before it cooks to well done. The still rare meat is served warm.

The clarified butter mix is called niter kibbeh. Clarified butter is made by slowly heating up regular butter until the butter fat separates from the milk solids and water.

Ethiopian clarified butter is unique because as it cooks, it is infused with the flavor of spices like cardamom, coriander and shallots or onions. The spice mix used to make kitfo is called mitmita. It is a spicy blend of dried chili peppers, cardamom, salt and cloves.

In some groups it is forbidden to eat raw meat so the kitfo is cooked quickly. The cooked variation is called kitfo leb leb. Kitfo is usually served plated with gomen, Ethiopian style greens, a soft fresh cheese called ayib and more spice.

It is otherwise served on its own as a side and eaten with bread such as injera, a thin fermented flat bread made from teff flour or kocho, a thick flatbread made from false banana.

Origin and Cultural Significance

Kitfo originates from the Gurage people of Ethiopia. The Gurage are a small ethnic group well known for being agriculturists.

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Ethiopian Kitfo Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Kitfo is an Ethiopian dish of raw, spiced beef. It is made by slowly heating clarified butter in a pan over very low heat then adding the spices and finely minced beef.

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Ingredients

• Minced beef/beef tartare - 500 g
• Mekelesha spice - 1 tbsp
• Mitmita - 2 tbsp
• Berbere - 1 tsp
• Niter kibbeh - 1 cup + 4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Instructions

1. Ensure that the minced beef is finely chopped.
2. In a small pot and on low heat, mix together a cup of kibbeh, 2 tablespoons of mitmita, and 1 tablespoon of mekelesha.
3. Stir for about a minute before removing from the fire.
4. Add the beef and thoroughly mix with the mitmita, mekelesha and kibbeh blend.
5. Once this is done, put it back on low heat, continuing to mix.
6. Lightly cook for about 1 minute and add a little bit more kibbeh, if necessary, to prevent the beef from sticking to the pot
7. It can be served at this point – warm but still tartar – or it can cook it for a further 5 minutes while stirring, so that the beef is lightly cooked.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 330mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 16g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.

Photo Credit: Kirk K