Pork Satay With Thai Spices and Peanut Sauce
Throughout Southeast Asia, little skewers of marinated meat, grilled over coals, are sold as street snacks. Sweetly fragrant with coconut milk and spices, they are perfect for barbecue parties served with steamed rice, or on their own with drinks, whether grilled indoors or out. You may use pork loin or tenderloin, but marbled sirloin or shoulder is more succulent.
- Total:
- Serves: 12 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ½pounds pork loin, tenderloin or shoulder, sliced into thin rectangles (1/4 inch x 1 inch x 2 inches; you should have about 24 pieces)
- 1shallot, minced
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1tablespoon grated ginger
- 3tablespoons chopped lemongrass
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 ½teaspoons turmeric
- ¼teaspoon cayenne
- 1tablespoon fish sauce
- 1tablespoon lime juice
- 2teaspoons soy sauce
- 1tablespoon brown sugar
- ½cup coconut milk
- Cilantro and basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
- 1pound Persian or Japanese cucumbers, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- ½teaspoon salt
- 2tablespoons lime juice
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2small shallots thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
- 2fresh Thai or serrano chiles, sliced into rounds
- 1cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
- 2cloves garlic, chopped
- 1teaspoon soy sauce
- 2teaspoons sesame oil
- 2tablespoons brown sugar
- 2tablespoons fish sauce
- 2tablespoons lime juice, more to taste
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne
- ½cup coconut milk
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the skewers: Put pork in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and coconut milk, and pour over meat. Toss with your hands to coat well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Meanwhile, soak 12 bamboo skewers in water.Step 2
Prepare the cucumbers: Put cucumbers in a mixing bowl and season with salt. Add lime juice, sugar, shallots and chiles and toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Check seasoning, then transfer to a serving dish.Step 3
Prepare the peanut sauce: Pulse the peanuts briefly in a food processor just until finely ground. Add the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne and coconut milk, and process until well puréed. Transfer to a bowl, then taste and adjust seasoning. Thin a bit with lime juice or water as desired.Step 4
Thread 2 slices of pork onto each bamboo skewer, keeping the meat as flat as possible. Grill over hot coals, under the broiler or on a stovetop grill pan for 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a platter and garnish with cilantro and basil leaves. Serve with cucumber relish and peanut sauce.