We are excited to share with you a traditional Ethiopian recipe for Tibs made with either beef or lamb. Leading us in this cooking class is James Beard winner Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Chef Samuelsson shares a traditional recipe that is best eaten with a group, especially as a casual meal, and one you will most definitely have the chance to sample on our tours to Ethiopia. You can find most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Two more difficult to find ingredients are Ethiopian Ghee (clarified butter imbued with a delicate array of spices) and Berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend of chilies, cardamom, salt, dried garlic, dried ginger and more. You can order both online through Amazon.
The dish is served on top of injera bread which is one of the country’s trademark foods. It’s a sourdough flatbread unlike any other sourdough. It starts out looking like a crepe but then develops a unique porous and slightly spongy texture. The thin batter is traditionally poured onto a clay plate over a fire or a specialized electric injera stove. The bottom remains smooth while the top develops pores which makes it ideal for scooping up stews and sauces. It’s delicious. You can buy the Teff flour at an Ethiopian grocery store or at Amazon or Whole Foods. If you can’t find it and don’t want to make it, Chef Samuelsson says he has served Tibs with pasta. So enjoy!!
How to make Tibs with Chef Marcus Samuelsson
Chef Samuelsson’s restaurants
If you are in New York be sure to visit Chef Samuelsson’s two restaurants in Harlem, Red Rooster opened in 2010 and Streetbird Rotisserie opened in 2015. Besides these two restaurants featuring comfort food, Chef Samuelsson has restaurants in Maryland, New Jersey as well as Bermuda, Norway, and Sweden. He is also the author of five cookbooks and has appeared in multiple episodes of Top Chef, made appearances on the Food Network and created the series No Passport Required celebrating immigrant cultures and their food in the United States.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson at this Red Rooster Restaurant in Harlem, New York © Photo by Anders Husa & Kaitlin Orr
