Ethiopian Beef Tibs

Sega Tibs — Ethiopian Stir-Fried Beef

Tibs is a broad name for cut meat that is fried or stir-fried, from a dry, simple preparation to a juicy version with onion, tomato and peppers. It is sometimes served with awaze, berbere sauce, on the side. Here kosher beef and spiced oil are used instead of butter, so the dish stays a meat dish without dairy.

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cooking time: 25 minutes · Yield: 5 servings · Difficulty: easy

Sear in batches, don’t steam

A kilogram of meat cools a home pan. Fry in three batches and return it all at the end; if all the meat goes in at once, it releases water and turns gray instead of browning.

Ingredients (for 5 servings)

• 1 kg lean beef for searing, such as rump (sheitel) or sirloin (sinta), in 2 cm cubes
• 60 ml canola or olive oil
• 400 grams sliced onion
• 2 green bell peppers and one hot chili, sliced
• 300 grams chopped tomatoes, drained of excess juice
• 4 garlic cloves and 20 grams ginger, chopped
• 1–2 teaspoons berbere
• 1/2 teaspoon korarima or black cardamom, salt and pepper
• Ethiopian rosemary is optional; a small sprig of rosemary at most

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

A quick dish needs a cut suited to searing, not shoulder for long cooking. “Goulash” stew cubes will stay tough in this time. You can use lean lamb, but the calories change. The berbere is kept mild here so the beef stays at the center.

Method

1. Dry the meat. Pat it dry thoroughly and salt it just before frying.
2. Sear. Heat a heavy pan until very hot with half the oil. Sear in three batches for 2–3 minutes, until browned, and transfer to a plate.
3. Fry the vegetables. Add the rest of the oil, the onion and peppers for 7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and berbere for half a minute.
4. Finish quickly. Add the tomatoes for 3 minutes, return the meat and stir-fry for 2–4 minutes. For safety, aim for 63°C (145°F) with a 3-minute rest for a whole cut that was cubed in a clean kitchen; if you prefer well done, go to 71°C (160°F).
5. Serve. Add the korarima and serve immediately on injera so it doesn’t keep cooking.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The calculation assumes lean-to-medium beef at about 220 calories per 100 grams and all the oil. A very lean cut will lower it by about 80 calories per serving.

Variations and tips

• For a dry version, leave out the tomatoes and serve them as a salad on the side.
• Don’t add water to the pan; if the vegetables stick, lower the heat slightly.
• Leftovers keep for 3 days, but the meat is best right after searing.

Summary

Good tibs depends on a hot pan, a suitable cut and small batches. A serving is about 595 calories without injera. For a spiced ground beef version, see cooked kitfo.