Kitfo-Style Warmed Lean Beef with Mitmita & Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1 lb Lean Beef, very finely hand-chopped
• 5 tbsp niter kibbeh (spiced butter), or butter warmed with 1 tsp each grated ginger, cardamom, and turmeric
• 1½ tbsp mitmita, or 1 tbsp cayenne plus ½ tsp ground cardamom and ¼ tsp cloves
• 4 cups Collard Greens, chopped
• ½ cup crumbled ayib or fresh farmer's cheese
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
• Injera or flatbread, for serving

Method

1. Cook the Collard Greens with the onion, garlic, and oil over medium heat, covered, 10–12 minutes until tender, then season and set aside. This is the gomen that sits beside the kitfo.
2. Warm the niter kibbeh in a small pan over low heat until it's liquid and fragrant but nowhere near sizzling, about 110°F (43°C). Hot butter would cook the meat and defeat the dish.
3. Chop the Lean Beef by hand as finely as you can manage — a food processor turns it to paste and ruins the texture.
4. Fold the warm butter, mitmita, and salt through the Lean Beef and stir over the barest heat 2–3 minutes for the traditional leb leb, warmed through but still red. If raw or rare beef isn't right for your table, keep the pan on medium and cook it to 160°F (71°C) instead — it's still excellent.
5. Serve immediately in a mound with the Collard Greens, crumbled cheese, and injera for scooping. Taste for mitmita — it should build slowly and finish hot.