A true staple of Ethiopian gastronomy, tibs is a dish of sautéed meat with vegetables, flavored with berbere spice. Very versatile, it comes in many variations depending on the type of meat used, its cooking and the vegetables that accompany it.
What is tibs?
Tibs is a meat dish cut into small cubes and sautéed in a pan with niter kibbeh (clarified butter), vegetables, herbs, garlic, ginger and berbere spice, creating a sauce rich and full of flavor.
In Ethiopia, there are many versions. The most commonly used vegetables and herbs are onions, tomatoes and green peppers. The most popular meats are beef, lamb, venison or mutton.
Like many other Ethiopian dishes, this is normally eaten with injera, a typical sourdough pancake made with teff flour. Traditionally, it is eaten with the fingers by dipping a piece of injera in the dish and collecting a piece of meat and sauce by using the bread as a utensil.
What is berbere?
Berbere is a fairly hot blend of spices, characteristic of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. In Ethiopia, its composition and the proportions of ingredients can vary a lot from place to place and there is no “official” recipe.
Berbere can contain up to 16 kinds of spices. The basic elements are mitmita, kororima and passion berries. It also sometimes includes black cumin, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and paprika.
What is the origin of tibs?
Tibs (ጥብስ), written as tebs, t’ibs or tibbs, is a culinary specialty from Ethiopia. While its exact origins remain unknown, it is likely that it had its roots in the Aksumite Empire, like many other traditional Ethiopian dishes.
This monarchical state stretched over northern Ethiopia and part of Djibouti and Eritrea in the 4th century BC until the 5th century AD.
Ethiopians are known to be avid meat lovers, and tibs has become a staple of local cuisine over the centuries. For a long time, it was synonymous with festivals and special occasions, with the exception of fasting periods when the consumption of meat is prohibited.
In the past, it was also a dish that was prepared as a sign of respect for someone. Even today, it is one of the most popular delicacies at family gatherings and other festive events.
What are the variants?
There is not just one tib, but rather several. This traditional dish goes by various names, in particular depending on the piece of meat used, the cut and size of the pieces, as well as its accompaniments:
- Kitfo tibs, which is made with raw meat, like a tartare.
- Shekla tibs, when the tibs is cooked in an earthenware pot.
- Siga tibs, usually made with beef.
- Yefigel tibs, when it contains goat meat.
- Yedoro tibs, a variation with pieces of chicken.
- Awaze tibs, when made with awaze, a spicy red pepper condiment.
There are also vegetarian versions, which may come as a surprise since meat is the central ingredient in this recipe. In reality, these meatless versions are also called tibs in reference to the cooking method which is similar, as well as the use of the same spices and condiments:
- Inkolala tibs, literally “fried eggs,” which refers to a dish of scrambled eggs served for breakfast with peppers, tomatoes and onions.
- Inguday tibs, a variation with pan-sautéed mushrooms.
Tibs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef sirloin (or merlan), trimmed and cut into 1 inch / 2.5 cm cubes
- 3 oz niter kibbeh
- 4 onions , cut into slices
- 2 3 inch pieces fresh ginger , peeled and grated
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large head garlic , peeled and crushed
- 2 large tomatoes , peeled, seeded, and finely diced
- 2 green peppers (jalapeño type), sliced or whole
- 5 tablespoons berbere spice
- 4 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro , chopped
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Blender
- Cast iron pan (12 inches / 30 cm in diameter)
- Kitchen tongs
Instructions
- Melt the niter kibbeh in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the onions, ginger, cumin, pepper, garlic and berbere spice.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes, or until onions are golden brown.
- Towards the end of cooking, the onions should sizzle slightly, so if necessary, increase the heat.
- Transfer half of the onions to a blender, puree them, and pour them back into the pot with the rest. Salt and mix well.
- Add the tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes over medium / high heat, stirring frequently.
- Turn off the heat, cover and keep warm.
- Generously salt the beef on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a cast iron pan, until it’s lightly smoking.
- Add the beef in a single layer, leaving some free space between each piece.
- Cook the beef pieces without moving for about 3 minutes, or until they are seared on one side.
- Turn the pieces of meat over with kitchen tongs, and cook on the other side until seared.
- Continue to cook the meat, stirring and turning the pieces occasionally until the desired sear is reached.
- Mix the beef with the reserved sauce, and finally add the lemon juice and cilantro, and mix well..
- Serve immediately with injera.
Video
Sources
Google Books
Wikipedia
All In One
Born in France and passionate about travel, Laurie has spent the last few years traveling in many countries. Thanks to these trips, she made beautiful cultural and culinary discoveries, which contributed to her newfound love of cooking.
Rachel says
The sauce of this stew is rich and full of flavor.