kitfo
last nite i made Ethiopian food for JKB & KC as they squared off in the first round of ABAMP. i will post those recipes once i figure out just what in the hell in put in all the dishes. but they turned out great, and both Jason and KC were well fed as they duked it out for 7 games.
and we felt the need for more Ethiopian food tonight. KC also bought a steak when she was out shopping yesterday, a really nice boneless ribeye weighing about 1 lb. and i am gonna be good to my many planthead friends and hide this behind a cut, because this isnt the sort of thing you would want to eat. but i've been Quite sensitive to the needs of my herbivore friends here of late, both last nite and at the BOB as well, so i can do the plants, man. but right now i want some meat. some rare meat. some VERY rare meat.
yes, i think its time to mike me some Kitfo ...
kitfo is the traditional Ethiopian steak. this is festival food, served at weddings and special occasions. it runs the gamut from raw to medium rare. but when served properly, there is no real danger of any sorts of foodborne illnesses, not any more than usual anyway. i’ve also been told by the hardcore barflies at the Ethiopian place where i ex-girlfriend used to gig that kitfo is THE KEY to drinking heavily without a hangover. and the rarer the better, apparently, as it acts like a sponge and just sucks up all the booze. this dish is slowly becoming more common in Ethiopian eateries in the U.S. and it’s a good thing, because its amazing and unique.
what does the trick in this dish is the spice mix. i used the Berbere that i made last nite, which is robust and a really detailed flavour. spicy as hell, of course, but the toasting of spices also brings the sweet out of the red pepper. this is the concoction that i made last nite, which was fun altho is almost asphyxiated me while i was making it. in Chef Jakcass’ kitchen, you best not scare easily ...
Berbere:
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground curry powder
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 T salt
1¼ C cayenne pepper
½ C paprika
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1. in a heavy saucepan or on a flatiron, toast the following ground spices together over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes: ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and cloves. stir to prevent burning.
2. add the salt, cayenne, paprika and black pepper and continue toasting and stirring for 10 to 15 more minutes.
3. try not to breathe too much of this stuff while youre making it. it is POTENT!
so here we have all of our necessary ingredients for kitfo. we have some butter, a bowl of Berbere, and some steak. a really nice steak, no less. Kitfo aint made of just ordinary ground beef. its the choice cut painstakingly minced. i didnt want to make that much effort because, honestly, i'm lazy.
Kitfo
1 lb. boneless ribeye steak
3 sticks butter
pinches of cumin and curry powder
2 T Berbere
1. i take the steak and grind it up in the food processor. set it aside.
2. in a saucepan, melt the low butter SLOWLY over medium-low heat, adding in the pinches of cumin and curry powder.
3. as it melts, skim the fat and the foam off the top. i used a pastry knife and a rubber spatula. set that aside for something else yummy.
4. continue this process for 30 minutes or so, until the butter is completely clear.
5. remove from heat and strain it thru a sieve of some sort to filter out remaining solids.
6. return it to the pan on the stovetop, up the heat.
7. as the butter starts to bubble, add the Berbere to it and stir aggressively.
8. kill the heat.
9. remove the pan from the stove and toss in the ground steak, stirring it to coat.
10. spoon onto plate or bowl immediately.
the finished product:
we served that up with some Berbere lentils that i made last night, a spinage salad with a thick basil vinaigrette, and a bottle of Aglianico, a fiercesomely bold wine from southern Italy that evil zames sent us.
if anything, i think i may have OVERCOOKED it by leaving it on the stove a couple secs too long. nonetheless, it turned out delicious. its really a terrific and unusual approach to festive friday nite fare. dont be afraid to try it.
and now i suspect i am gonna have to make this for everyone i know, since i've blogged about it. a nice problem to have.
and we felt the need for more Ethiopian food tonight. KC also bought a steak when she was out shopping yesterday, a really nice boneless ribeye weighing about 1 lb. and i am gonna be good to my many planthead friends and hide this behind a cut, because this isnt the sort of thing you would want to eat. but i've been Quite sensitive to the needs of my herbivore friends here of late, both last nite and at the BOB as well, so i can do the plants, man. but right now i want some meat. some rare meat. some VERY rare meat.
yes, i think its time to mike me some Kitfo ...
kitfo is the traditional Ethiopian steak. this is festival food, served at weddings and special occasions. it runs the gamut from raw to medium rare. but when served properly, there is no real danger of any sorts of foodborne illnesses, not any more than usual anyway. i’ve also been told by the hardcore barflies at the Ethiopian place where i ex-girlfriend used to gig that kitfo is THE KEY to drinking heavily without a hangover. and the rarer the better, apparently, as it acts like a sponge and just sucks up all the booze. this dish is slowly becoming more common in Ethiopian eateries in the U.S. and it’s a good thing, because its amazing and unique.
what does the trick in this dish is the spice mix. i used the Berbere that i made last nite, which is robust and a really detailed flavour. spicy as hell, of course, but the toasting of spices also brings the sweet out of the red pepper. this is the concoction that i made last nite, which was fun altho is almost asphyxiated me while i was making it. in Chef Jakcass’ kitchen, you best not scare easily ...
Berbere:
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground curry powder
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 T salt
1¼ C cayenne pepper
½ C paprika
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1. in a heavy saucepan or on a flatiron, toast the following ground spices together over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes: ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and cloves. stir to prevent burning.
2. add the salt, cayenne, paprika and black pepper and continue toasting and stirring for 10 to 15 more minutes.
3. try not to breathe too much of this stuff while youre making it. it is POTENT!
so here we have all of our necessary ingredients for kitfo. we have some butter, a bowl of Berbere, and some steak. a really nice steak, no less. Kitfo aint made of just ordinary ground beef. its the choice cut painstakingly minced. i didnt want to make that much effort because, honestly, i'm lazy.
Kitfo
1 lb. boneless ribeye steak
3 sticks butter
pinches of cumin and curry powder
2 T Berbere
1. i take the steak and grind it up in the food processor. set it aside.
2. in a saucepan, melt the low butter SLOWLY over medium-low heat, adding in the pinches of cumin and curry powder.
3. as it melts, skim the fat and the foam off the top. i used a pastry knife and a rubber spatula. set that aside for something else yummy.
4. continue this process for 30 minutes or so, until the butter is completely clear.
5. remove from heat and strain it thru a sieve of some sort to filter out remaining solids.
6. return it to the pan on the stovetop, up the heat.
7. as the butter starts to bubble, add the Berbere to it and stir aggressively.
8. kill the heat.
9. remove the pan from the stove and toss in the ground steak, stirring it to coat.
10. spoon onto plate or bowl immediately.
the finished product:
we served that up with some Berbere lentils that i made last night, a spinage salad with a thick basil vinaigrette, and a bottle of Aglianico, a fiercesomely bold wine from southern Italy that evil zames sent us.
if anything, i think i may have OVERCOOKED it by leaving it on the stove a couple secs too long. nonetheless, it turned out delicious. its really a terrific and unusual approach to festive friday nite fare. dont be afraid to try it.
and now i suspect i am gonna have to make this for everyone i know, since i've blogged about it. a nice problem to have.