Ye'beg Tibs

Ye'beg tibs is a celebratory Ethiopian lamb sauté reserved for special occasions, feast days, and family gatherings. Cubes of tender lamb are quickly sautéed in spiced clarified butter with onion, jalapeño, and fresh rosemary in a screaming-hot pan — a dish of bold, direct flavour that showcases Ethiopia's revered berbere spice culture.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 700g (1.5 lb) bone-in lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 3cm (1¼ in) cubes
• 3 tbsp (45g) niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter) or ghee
• 1 large onion, cut into thick wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 jalapeño or serrano chillies, sliced
• 2 tsp (6g) berbere spice blend
• 1 tsp (3g) ground cumin
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• ½ tsp (1g) black pepper
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Fresh injera or crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Pat lamb cubes dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat until very hot — nearly smoking. Add niter kibbeh and swirl to coat.
3. Add lamb in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear without moving 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned. The high heat and rapid sear is essential. Set browned lamb aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onion wedges and cook 4-5 minutes until charred at the edges. Add garlic, jalapeños, and rosemary; cook 2 minutes.
5. Stir in berbere and cumin; cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped tomato and cook 3 minutes until collapsing.
6. Return lamb to the pan, toss to coat, and cook a further 4-5 minutes until the lamb is cooked through but still slightly pink at the centre.
7. Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately on a bed of torn injera.

Cook's Notes: The pan must be genuinely hot before the lamb goes in — this is not a low-and-slow dish. Ye'beg tibs is intentionally bold; for a milder version halve the berbere and omit one chilli.