Minced beef in spiced butter (Kitfo)

1. Trim the sinew from the beef tenderloin and chop it very finely with a sharp knife (or have the butcher mince it fresh).

2. Crumble the ayib in a bowl with a fork and season with a pinch of salt.

3. Wilt the spinach with the crushed garlic in 1 tbsp niter kibbeh for 3-4 minutes, then salt it.

4. Melt the remaining niter kibbeh in a pan over low heat, stir in the mitmita and take off the heat.

5. Add the meat to the warm spiced butter, salt it, mix thoroughly, then cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until cooked through (for the warm leb leb version 1-2 minutes is enough).

6. Serve straight away with the ayib, the spinach and injera.

Tip: Kitfo is the festive dish of the Gurage people; in Ethiopia it is also eaten raw, but to start with the cooked or the lukewarm leb leb version is best. For the lukewarm version only use meat from a reliable source, minced the same day. If you have no mitmita, a mix of hot chilli powder and a pinch of ground cardamom is a good substitute; ayib can be replaced with cottage cheese.