Kitfo
Kitfo is one of the most celebrated dishes in Ethiopian cuisine, a spiced beef tartare traditionally served on festive occasions and celebrations such as weddings. Its origin is believed to be tied to the Gurage community of southern Ethiopia, where the finest quality raw beef has long been considered a sign of respect and hospitality toward guests. While the classic version is served raw (tere), there are also lightly warmed (leb leb) or well-done (yebesele) versions for those who prefer cooked meat. Kitfo is almost always eaten in a circle, from a shared plate called a mesob, alongside family or friends, making it a deeply social dish, not just a culinary one.
Minced raw beef
Top-quality beef, hand-minced fine, served raw or lightly warmed.
Mitmita butter
Clarified butter infused with mitmita, a fiery Ethiopian chili spice blend.
Ayib cheese
Served alongside ayib, a fresh, tangy cheese similar to cottage cheese.
With injera
Traditionally eaten with injera, Ethiopia's fermented flatbread.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 600g very high-quality beef tenderloin
- 150g butter
- 2 tbsp mitmita (chili spice blend)
- 1 tsp koseret (dried, ground)
- 1/2 tsp ground black cardamom
- Salt to taste
- Ayib cheese or cottage cheese, for serving
- Sautéed gomen (Ethiopian collard greens), for serving
- Injera, for serving
How to make it
- 1PREP THE MEAT: Trim the beef of sinew and fat, then mince it very finely by hand with a knife, not a food processor.
- 2CLARIFY THE BUTTER: Melt the butter over low heat, skim off the foam, then add koseret and cardamom and let infuse for 5 minutes.
- 3ADD MITMITA: Stir mitmita into the warm infused butter, then let it cool slightly so it stays liquid.
- 4COMBINE: Pour the spiced butter over the minced meat and mix well with your hand or a wooden spoon.
- 5SEASON: Add salt to taste, mixing gently so as not to compact the meat.
- 6SHAPE: Form a mound or individual portions on a plate.
- 7SERVE: Serve immediately, alongside ayib, sautéed gomen and fresh injera.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
