Satay is a rather common menu items at Thai restaurants here in the US. And unfortunately, it has been thought of as being a "Thai food" when in reality, satay is a common and popular item throughout South East Asia. Each country and each region has its own version of this food, and the variation can be significant.
Having sampled many different types of satay throughout the region, I'd say that my most favorite satay is the Malaysian/Indonesian satay. While the satay you find in most Thai restaurant are flavored with nothing more than just turmeric, Malaysian satay has a lot more species, herbs, and flavors. This includes the peanut satay sauce that accompanies the satay. The flavor is significantly more complex and interesting.
Having moaned to my friends about the satay that we often got at Thai restaurants, I decided to put my money where my mouth was and actually made Malaysian satay at home and invited many of my friends to sample it. I basically started with a basic recipe, and then I adjusted it until the flavor that I get matched what I remember how it should be. Making satay at home isn't easy, and it is tedious. Satay is often eaten at food stalls or restaurants because of this. This is very seldom done at home. So I certainly was aware of what I was undertaking.
First, let me give you the basic recipe that I used to make satay. The meat used in the recipe is chicken (boneless dark meat) or beef (flank steak). But in Malaysia/Indonesia, you may find tripe, chicken liver, beef liver, etc. skewered as the satay meat.
Satay Recipe
2 boneless chicken thighs and 2 boneless chicken legs, cut into half-inch pieces. If using flank steaks, cut into thin strips (no more than 1/4 inch) about 3/4 inch long
5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric power
Satay Spice Paste
6 shallots
3 stalks lemongrass
1 inch galangal root
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons oil
Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a pan until fragrant. Combine all the ingredients for the Spice Paste into a blender or food processor and process until you get a fine paste. Add more oil if necessary to get a smooth paste.
Combine the Spice Paste with the chicken pieces, sugar, salt, and turmeric. Mix thoroughly. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Satay Sauce
2 cups dry roasted peanuts, skinned (may substitute with 2 cups of chunky peanut butter)
1/3 cup oil
1 heaping tablespoon tamarind paste, soaked in 1 cup warm water.
1 cup water
4 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Satay Sauce Spice Paste
1 dried ancho pepper, soaked in warm water until soft
6 cloves of garlic
3 shalots
4 stalks lemongrass
1 inch galangal root
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
Toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. If using dry roasted peanuts, chopped in food processor coarsely and set aside.
Blend Satay Sauce Spice Paste ingredients in a food process until smooth. Add cooking oil if necessary to obtain a smooth paste.
Heat oil and fry spice paste. Once fragrant, add tamarind water, water, sugar, salt, and peanut/peanut butter. Slowly simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
Back to the satay. The next day, thread 4-5 pieces of meat per skewer.
In preparation for grilling, pour a cup of cooking oil into a bowel. Use another stalk of lemongrass, and lightly bruise the stalk end. Dip this end into the oil and let it steep for 1/2 hour. This will be the basting brush.
Grill the satay skewers over coal or on a grill at high heat. Brush the meat with the oil-infused lemongrass. Flank steaks should take no more than one minute on each side, while chicken may take 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how thick the pieces are. There should be slight charring of the meat for flavor.
Serve with satay sauce, sliced cucumbers, and red onions.
So, want to see what I did and how my satay party turned out?
These are the coriander and cumin seeds being dry toasted in a pan.
Preparing the satay spice paste. I couldn't find galangal root, so I substitute ginger root instead.
Frying the spice paste for the peanut sauce. I was making a large amount.
The lemongrass basting brush soaking in oil.
Grilling the satay. I made both chicken and beef.
Malaysian satay is served. I also made "pressed rice" to serve with the satay and peanut sauce, along with the sliced cucumber and red onions. Traditionally, the rice is "ketupat", which is rice cooked in a weaved basket made of coconut leaves. But hey, I can only do so much!
It was yummy, if I may say so myself, and it was definitely a success. I managed to give an idea to my friends what "satay" is supposed to taste like, at least from what I remember.
I may have to do this again next summer if I can find people to help me skewer the meat.
Zz.
