Siga Tibs, Pan-Seared Spiced Beef

Siga Tibs is an Ethiopian classic: chunks of beef seared hard in a screaming-hot pan with spiced butter, onions, tomatoes, and a good hit of berbere. The crust on the meat is the whole point. You want it deep brown and a little charred at the edges, with the inside staying tender and juicy. Serve it straight from the cast-iron with injera to scoop everything up, or pile it over rice if that's what you have.

Recipe details

Yield
6 people
Prep time
35 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lb Beef sirloin or ribeye, cut into 1-inch cubes (sirloin tip or boneless short rib also work well)
  • 6 tbsp Unsalted butter (for the niter kibbeh base)
  • 2 large Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1.5-inch piece Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 2 medium Jalapeños, sliced into thin rounds (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 3 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2.5 tbsp Berbere spice blend (store-bought is fine; Ethiopian grocery stores will have the freshest)
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Ground coriander
  • 0.5 tsp Ground turmeric
  • 4 pods Cardamom pods, lightly crushed in mortar & pestle (or 0.25 tsp ground cardamom)
  • 1.5 tsp Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 0.75 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp Neutral oil (vegetable or avocado oil)
  • 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and roughly chopped (optional but traditional in some regions)
  • 1 medium Fresh lemon (for squeezing over at the end)

Instructions

  1. Pat 2.5 lb beef sirloin or ribeye completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes, then spread them on a plate or tray and leave uncovered at room temperature while you prep the spice mix.
  2. Using your mortar & pestle, lightly crush 4 cardamom pods to split them open. Combine the crushed cardamom with 2.5 tbsp berbere, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 0.5 tsp ground turmeric, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, and 0.75 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Give it a stir and set aside.
  3. Toss the beef cubes in about two-thirds of the spice mix, making sure every piece gets coated. Don't stress about perfection here. Set the remaining spice mix aside for the sauce later.
  4. Halve and thinly slice 2 large yellow onions. Set aside.
  5. Mince 5 cloves garlic. Peel a 1.5-inch piece of fresh ginger and finely grate it. Keep both together on a small plate.
  6. Slice 2 medium jalapeños into thin rounds, seeds in if you want the heat. Roughly chop 3 medium Roma tomatoes. Strip and roughly chop the leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs.
  7. Place your cast-iron pan over high heat and let it get properly hot, at least 2 to 3 minutes. You want it almost smoking. Add 1 tbsp neutral oil and swirl to coat. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer, making sure pieces are not touching. Resist the urge to move them.
  8. Sear the first batch for 2 minutes without touching, then flip and sear another 1 to 2 minutes. You're looking for a deep mahogany crust on at least two sides, with the center still rosy. Pull them out onto a plate and repeat with the remaining 1 tbsp neutral oil and the second batch of beef. Remove and set aside.
  9. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Add 4 tbsp of the unsalted butter to the same pan. Once it foams and the foam starts to subside, add the sliced onions. Spread them out and let them cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until soft and going golden at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  10. Push the onions to the edges of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter to the center, then add the garlic and ginger mixture and the rosemary. Stir and let it sizzle for 60 seconds until fragrant.
  11. Add the jalapeño slices and the reserved spice mix to the pan. Stir everything together and cook for another 90 seconds, letting the spices bloom in the butter.
  12. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a rough saucy paste that clings to the onions.
  13. Return all the seared beef to the pan, along with any resting juices from the plate. Toss everything together and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to warm the beef through and marry the flavors. Don't overdo it or the beef goes tough.
  14. Taste and adjust salt. Cut 1 medium lemon in half and squeeze one half over the pan. A squeeze of lemon really lifts all that spiced butter. Serve straight from the cast-iron.