Zelbo Firfir (ዘልቦ ፍርፍር)

Zelbo is thinly sliced air-dried beef — Ethiopia's ancient answer to biltong or jerky — made by curing lean beef strips with salt and spices before drying in the sun or a low oven. Firfir means to crumble or tear: zelbo firfir tears the dried beef into shreds then tosses them cold with mitmita, lemon, and fresh herbs for a high-protein, intensely flavoured room-temperature salad that is served as part of the coffee ceremony spread or as a fasting-adjacent snack.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Zelbo (Dried Beef — make ahead)

• 500g (1.1 lb) lean beef (topside or round), sliced 3mm thin
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• 1 tsp (3g) mitmita or ground chilli
• 1/2 tsp (1.5g) ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp (1.5g) ground cardamom

Firfir Dressing

• 2 tbsp (30ml) niter kibbeh, melted and cooled
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp / 45ml)
• 1 tsp (3g) mitmita
• 1/2 tsp (1.5g) ground black pepper
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely sliced
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare zelbo: toss beef slices with salt, mitmita, ginger, and cardamom. Lay on a wire rack set over a baking tray. Dry in the lowest oven setting (50–70°C / 120–160°F) with the door slightly ajar for 4–6 hours, or until completely dry and leathery. Alternatively, hang in a dry, breezy spot for 12–24 hours. Cool completely.
2. Tear or crumble dried beef into rough shreds by hand; it should pull apart easily.
3. Whisk together niter kibbeh, lemon juice, mitmita, and black pepper.
4. Toss shredded zelbo with the dressing, spring onions, coriander, and green chilli. Let stand 10 minutes for the beef to absorb the dressing slightly.
5. Taste and adjust lemon and salt. Serve at room temperature with injera or flatbread.

Cook's Notes: Zelbo keeps well once dried — store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The drying time varies with humidity; the beef should snap cleanly when bent, not bend. For a quicker version, use store-bought biltong and skip to step 2.