Gored Gored

Gored gored is cubed raw beef served with awaze — a paste of berbere, tej (Ethiopian honey wine), and sometimes niter kibbeh. The cut is chunkier than Kitfo and the awaze brings a deeper fermented-honey sweetness alongside the heat. The beef is typically fattier in cut selection and the honey note in the awaze opens a slight sweet-savoury register that Kitfo does not have.

Pairs Perfectly

Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, Victoria, Australia — red-fruited earth, silky tannin, Burgundian in structure, typically 13–13.5% ABV. The savoury earth character engages the awaze fermentation note and the tannin is fine enough to work with raw beef without hardening.

Pairs Well

Xinomavro, Naoussa, Greece — dried herb, tomato skin, grippy tannin, high acid. The savoury complexity mirrors the awaze depth and the acidity cuts the fat in the beef cleanly. Tannin is firmer than Pinot Noir — suits the chunkier cut of gored gored where a more delicate preparation does not apply.

Zweigelt, Niederösterreich, Austria — juicy dark cherry, moderate tannin, around 12.5–13% ABV. The slight spice lift and clean structure work across the honey-and-berbere awaze without pushing the alcohol into heat-amplification territory.

Worth Seeking Out

Saperavi from Kakheti, Georgia, where the inky depth, high tannin, and savoury teinturier character match the fat load and fermented awaze at full intensity — the most structurally serious answer for a generous portion.

Avoid

Light reds below 12% ABV — the fat load and awaze depth overwhelm anything too delicate. Oaked whites and high-alcohol reds above 14% ABV for the same heat reasons as the mitmita-spiced preparations in this cuisine.

Failing That

A Crozes-Hermitage, northern Rhone, France.

If All Else Fails

A Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.

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