Daring Cooks' Satay

I am not an expert of Thai food despite I have been staying here for 7 years. Pretty much still learning about it everyday. All I can say is Thais have extreme taste buds - the food has to be either very sweet or very sour or very spicy. Nothing less is acceptable. In Thai we call it "khaem khoun" meaning "very tasty or concentrated".



In regards to that, I could say the challenge satay recipe turned out pretty good. Satays were delicious and tasty (according to me and T, a Thai), but the sauce needed a bit of adjustment. Had added a few teaspoons of granulated sugar and soy sauce. The final taste was acceptable by T but I personally would like it even sweeter to resemble satays from my favorite shop.



In DB Forum, jillouci commented that the cucumber dip was missing from the challenge recipe and therefore attached necessary detail of how to prepare it. This dip recipe was easy to prepare and I added sliced shallots and red chilies. End result was fabulous, exactly as what I had expected - sweet, sour, and with a kick! Thanks, jillouci!

Finally, my extra tip to make satays taste better. Reserve 125 ml of coconut milk in a shallow plate and dip satays in before grilling or pan frying.



The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day. Thanks to Cuppy for this wonderful and practical challenge. Will definitely make this delicious dish over and over again!

Have made some adjustment to the recipe for my own convenience and preference. Original recipe could be found here.



PORK SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE
Makes 38 sticks

1. Satay Marinade

Ingredients:
- Pork shoulder > 400 grams
- Small onion - cut in chunks > 1/2
- Garlic - cut in chunks > 4 cloves
- Ginger root - cut in chunks > diameter 2 cm, length 3 cm
- Lime juice > 5 teaspoons
- Soy sauce > 1 tablespoon
- Ground coriander > 2 teaspoons
- Ground cumin> 1 teaspoon
- Fresh turmeric - cut in chunks > diameter 1 cm, length 6 cm
- Vegetable oil > 2 tablespoons



Method:
- Cut pork into 1 inch strips with thickness less than 0.5 cm and place in a bowl. Set aside.
- Combine everything except ground coriander and cumin, in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Cover pork with marinade. Use fingers gently fold ground coriander and cumin into pork.
- Cover bowl with cling film and refrigrerate overnight.



2. Cucumber Dip.

Ingredients:
- Cucumber - remove skin, cut into 1.5 inch length strips > 1
- Shallots - slice thinly > 5 cloves
- Red chilies - cut small > 3
- Salt > 1/8 teaspoon
- Granulated sugar > 4 tablespoons
- Rice vinegar > 4 tablespoons
- Water > 2 tablespoons

Method:
- Combine cucumber, shallots and chilies in a bowl. Set aside.
- Mix water, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to boil.
- Pour boiled mixture over the cucumber mixture.
- Cool, cover with cling film and chill overnight.



3. Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
- Coconut milk > 180 ml
- Peanut butter > 3 tablespoons
- Ground roasted peanuts - preferably chunky > 90 grams
- Lime juice > 2 teaspoons
- Soy sauce > 4 teaspoons
- Granulated sugar > 4 teaspoons
- Ground cumin > 1/2 teaspoon
- Ground coriander > 1 teaspoon



Method:
- Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lime juice. Mix well.
- Over low heat combine coconut milk, peanut butter, and soy-lime-seasoning mixture. Mix well and stir constantly until peanut butter completely blends into coconut milk. Remove from fire. Do no bring to boil or overcook.
- When it is cool, mix in the ground peanut. Set aside.



4. Pork Satay

Ingredients:
- Marinated pork
- Skewers > 38
- Coconut milk > 125 ml

Method:
- Place coconut milk into a shallow plate.
- Remove marinated pork from fridge and gently slide pork strips into skewers.
- Dip satays into coconut just before grilling or pan frying.
- Grill at 290C or pan fry on medium-high until the edges just start to char. Flip and do the same.