Satay Beef with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Meat marinade:

160g shallots

10g garlic

¼ thumb sized piece  turmeric (or ½ tsp ground turmeric)

4 stalks lemon grass sliced (or 4 tblsp lemongrass paste)

10g galangal (or ginger if not available)

2 tblsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp salt

4 tblsp sugar

5 tblsp coconut milk

750g scotch fillet (or sirloin) sliced into thin strips

 

Peanut sauce:

(makes approx. 800 ml sauce)

250g roasted ground peanuts

450ml water

100g shallots

30g garlic

2 stalks lemongrass (or 2 tblsp lemongrass paste)

2 tblsp chili paste

4 tblsp oil

1 tblsp salt

4 tblsp sugar

2 tblsp lime juice

150ml coconut milk

 

Salad:

400g salad red onions thinly sliced into rings

400g telegraph cucumber skinned and cut into wedges

60ml white vinegar

2 tblsp brown sugar

2 tblsp fresh coriander – chopped

Method

Meat

Place shallots, garlic, turmeric, lemon grass and galangal into a spice blender, food processor or mortar and pestle and process till very fine.

Add coriander, cumin, dark soy, salt, sugar and coconut milk to the paste and mix thoroughly.

Marinade beef strips with paste for 1 hour.

Thread beef onto approximately 50 skewers (soak skewers over night if using wooden sticks to prevent burning over open flames)

Grill on the BBQ, over charcoal, on a hot plate on the range or under hot grill turning often to cook evenly – this should only take a couple of minutes on each side.

Serve with peanut sauce, cucumber and red onion salad

 

Sauce

Bring ground peanuts and water to the boil in a small pot, turn down the heat down low and heat till the consistency of oatmeal porridge.

Place shallots, garlic, lemon grass and chili paste into a spice blender, food processor or mortar and pestle and process till very fine.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom skillet till it shimmers.

Add the prepared spice paste and fry gently, stirring all the time to prevent burning.

Fry till it’s very fragrant and you see red oil gathering around the edges.

Take the skillet off the heat and add the fried spice paste to the peanut mixture and stir till combined.

Add the salt, sugar, lime juice and coconut milk and stir well.

Bring slowly to the boil over low heat and stirring constantly, cook for 10 minute or until sugar dissolved.  Take off the heat, put into a serving bowl and cool.

 

Salad

Dissolve sugar into vinegar in a bowl

Toss dressing together with cucumber, onions and chopped coriander in a bowl till well dressed

Heap onto a small platter or bowl and serve with the satay