Beef Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce
Marinated skewered beef, basted with coconut milk on the grill for moist tenderness. Served with an authentic Thai peanut sauce that you'll want to put on everything!
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef top sirloin
- ¼ cup coconut milk for basting
- 30 6-inch bamboo skewers, see note 1
- 4 slices white bread , optional, for serving
Marinade
- 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons galangal, chopped, (optional)
- 1 inch piece fresh turmeric, see note 2
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar, or granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅔ cup coconut milk
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1¼ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar , or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
Ajaad - Quick Cucumber Pickle (Optional)
- ½ cup quartered and sliced cucumber
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced shallots
- 8 slices Thai chilies or jalapenos, or to taste
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoons table salt
Notes
- Typically Thai satay is sliced thinly so small, thin skewers should be used otherwise you'll have trouble skewering through the beef. The amount of skewers provided is just a rough estimate.
- For every 1-inch of fresh turmeric, you can substitute ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) turmeric powder.
Instructions
- Cut the beef into ¼-inch thick slices against the grain, then cut each slice down into small, bite-sized pieces. Place into a mixing bowl.1 lb beef top sirloin
- To make the marinade: Grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until very fine, then add lemongrass, galangal and fresh turmeric (if using); pound into a fine paste. Add the turmeric powder (if using), cinnamon, sugar, salt, vinegar, and coconut milk; stir to mix well.1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 2 tablespoons lemongrass, 2 tablespoons galangal, chopped, 1 inch piece fresh turmeric, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ⅔ cup coconut milk
- Pour the marinade over the beef and massage it with your hands, making sure that no pieces of meat are stuck together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind the peanuts and sesame seeds into a fine meal, being careful not to over grind them into nut butter.½ cup roasted peanuts, 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
- In a small pot over medium heat, bring about ¼ cup (60 ml) of the coconut milk to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, then add the red curry paste and stir to mix well. Keep cooking for about 2 minutes until it is very thick, and coconut oil starts to separate from the paste.1¼ cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, ground peanuts, ground sesame seeds (if using), fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste. Simmer for about 5 minutes until it has thickened into a dip-like consistency, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching.1¼ cup coconut milk, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar, 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste as needed.
- To make the pickling liquid for the ajaad: In a small pot over medium heat, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt; cook just until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool completely.½ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoons table salt
- Skewer the beef onto bamboo skewers, making sure the skewer goes through the beef so the bamboo isn’t exposed, and do not let the tip of the skewer be exposed either. Put 3 pieces on each skewer, and lay them flat on a plate.30 6-inch bamboo skewers
- Oil and preheat the grill to medium. Tear off 2 pieces of aluminum foil, each 8-inch wide, and fold them in half lengthwise so that you have a long rectangle about 4 inches wide. Place this onto the grill, and this is where the handles of the skewers will rest to prevent them from burning.
- Brush the top side of the skewers with coconut milk, then place them on the grill, coconut-nut-milk-side down. Brush the other side of the skewers with coconut milk and grill for a minute or so just until it has nice grill marks and is about halfway cooked. Flip the skewers and grill the other side just until done. These are small and thin skewers and should only take 2-3 minutes to cook, and you do not need to cover them. If you have space on the grill, you can grill your bread along with the skewers, otherwise you can grill them after.¼ cup coconut milk for basting, 4 slices white bread
- When ready to serve, finish the ajaad by placing the cucumber, shallots, and chilies into a small bowl then pour the cooled vinegar mixture over them. (Tip: You don’t want to combine the cucumber with the pickling liquid longer than about 10 minutes before serving to preserve the crunch and freshness of the cucumber.) Pour the peanut sauce onto a plate with a little depth, which will allow people to dip the whole skewer in one go. Serve the beef satay on a platter alongside the peanut sauce, ajaad, and toast.½ cup quartered and sliced cucumber, 1 tablespoon thinly sliced shallots, 8 slices Thai chilies or jalapenos
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