Penang Pork Satay Recipes

PORK SATAY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Set aside 1/4 cup for dipping sauce. Pour remaining sauce into a bowl or shallow dish; add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. , Drain pork, discarding marinade. Thread pork slices onto 20 metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place skewers in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until meat juices run clear. , Meanwhile, for sauce, combine peanut butter and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in lime juice and reserved soy sauce mixture. Serve with skewers.

THAI PORK SATAY

Steps:

• Put the fat in a small pot, add just enough water to cover, and set the pot over high heat. Bring the water to a rolling simmer, decrease the heat to maintain it, and cook until the opaque white fat has turned slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat, discarding the water, and cut it into approximately 3/4-inch squares that are about 1/4 inch thick.
• Skewer one fat cube per skewer (discard any extras), pushing the cubes down to about 4 inches from the tip. Weave one skewer through the center of each strip of pork, exiting and entering several times, so the strip is fixed firmly to it and ends just below the tip of the skewer.
• Combine the coriander and cumin in a small pan, set the pan over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring and tossing often, until the spices are very fragrant and the coriander seeds turn a shade or two darker, about 8 minutes. Let the spices cool slightly and pound them in a granite mortar (or grind them in a spice grinder) to a coarse powder. Combine the spice powder, condensed milk, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, sugar, salt, pepper, and all but a few tablespoons of the coconut milk in a blender. Blend until smooth, then pour the marinade into a container, preferably a deep, narrow one. Swish the remaining coconut milk in the blender and pour it into the container.
• Add the skewers to the container with the marinade so that the meat (not necessarily the fat) is submerged in the marinade. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour while you prepare the grill.
• Prepare a grill, preferably charcoal, to cook over medium-high to high heat (see page 124). Or preheat a lightly oiled, large flat griddle over medium-high heat. Remove the skewers from the marinade, letting any excess drip back into the container. Season both sides of the pork with salt and cook in batches, if necessary, turning the skewers over once and moving them around to contain flare-ups, until the pork is just cooked through and the outsides are as charred as you like them, 3 to 6 minutes total.
• Serve them right away (or cover loosely with foil for up to 15 minutes after grilling) alongside the peanut sauce, cucumber relish, and bread.

PORK SATAY WITH THAI SPICES AND PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

THAI PORK SATAY

Steps:

• In a bowl or shallow dish, combine the coconut milk, garlic, cumin, coriander, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, paprika, curry and red pepper flakes; add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain pork, discarding marinade., For sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the water, peanut butter and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, 2 minutes. Whisk in brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper flakes until blended; keep warm. , Thread pork onto 12 metal or soaked wooden skewers. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil. Cook pork in batches until pork is no longer pink, 8-10 minutes per batch, turning occasionally., Serve skewers with peanut sauce and, if desired, rice.