Beef Satay
 
 
Flavorful, tender smoky beef satay marinated with plenty of herbs and spices dipped in a delectable savory, spicy, sweet peanut sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Malaysian
Serves: 20 sticks
Ingredients
  • 1½ lb flank or skirt steak, cut into 1" by ½" pieces
  • Wooden skewers (see notes 1)
  • Meat Marinade
  • 10 shallots (short variety), peeled
  • 1" ginger, peeled
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 lemongrass (white parts only), sliced
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbs oil
  • Peanut Sauce
  • 2 fresh red Fresno chilies (deseed one for less spicy sauce)
  • 5 shallots (short variety), peeled
  • ½" ginger, peeled
  • ½" galangal (blue ginger root), peeled and sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 lemongrass (white parts only) sliced
  • 3 candlenuts (or macadamia)
  • 6 tbs oil
  • 6 tbs water
  • Spices (optional, adds extra flavor)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp ground fennel
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp ground cumin
  • 1¼ cups roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly ground
  • 2 - 3 tbs tamarind pulp
  • 2 cups water (see notes 2)
  • 1½ tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
Directions
Meat
  1. Put all ingredients for the meat marinade into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour the marinade over the meat, mix well and marinate meat for 6 hours to overnight.
  3. Thread 4-5 pieces of meat on a bamboo skewer. To broil, set satay on a wire rack set over an aluminium lined baking sheet. Brush the meat with oil.
  4. If you have a grill, grill this babies until cooked though, 2-4 minutes each side (for medium to medium well) turning once and basting with oil. To broil: Set the oven to broil (high setting) and broil the meat for 20-25 minutes or until meat is cooked through, turning every 10 minutes. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.
Peanut Sauce
  1. Put the chilies, shallots, ginger, galangal (blue ginger root), garlic, lemongrass, candlenuts, oil, and spices (if using) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Over medium heat, pour the paste into a pan and fry for 10 minutes until fragrant. Add additional water or oil 1 tablespoon at a time if the paste is getting too dry. Do not burn the paste. Turn the heat to medium low if needed.
  3. Add the ground peanuts and stir. The paste will become very dry. Turn the heat to medium high and add the water (and coconut milk if using). Bring the liquid to a boil.
  4. Once boiled, turn the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 15 minutes stirring once in between. The last one minute, turn the heat to medium and let boil covered vigorously for 1 minute.
  5. Uncover and turn the heat to low so it won't splatter on you. You will see red colored oil oozing out on the surface. That means the peanut sauce is ready. Add the tamarind pulp, sugar and salt. Add more peanuts or water and adjust seasoning and consistency to your liking.
Notes
1. Wooden Skewers: I read a lot about soaking them for 30 minutes prior to using. Soaking the skewers will still sauce them to burn but they will be stronger than if those that weren't soaked.

2. You can replace ¼ of the water with coconut milk if you like the addition of it.

3. If you like your peanut sauce creamier, blend the peanuts well. If you like it chunkier, leave chunky bits on it. You will have leftover peanut sauce. Freeze it to enjoy with satay in the future or use the sauce for salad or noodles.

4. Spices: I buy most of my spices from wholefoods and some from Mountain Rose Herbs - dry cayenne chilies & fennel seed.

6. Shallots, lemongrass, galangal and candlenuts can be found in most Asian markets.
Recipe by Curious Nut at https://www.curiousnut.com/beef-satay/