Recipes Make Magic
Senior Cook
Authentic Indonesian Beef Satay and It's Spicy Peanut Sauce
Just so you know, I got this recipe from the chef of the Tanglin Club In Singapore sometime in early 1977 after bugging him for several weeks to get it. I had to modify it a wee bit when we got back to Canada because I'd jotted everything down so quickly I couldn't totally read some of my own handwriting.
Of all my time in south-east Asia enjoying all the exotic foods I had there, I have to say this satay was the highlight of everything new that I tasted, and my most favorite dish of them all. My family & I spent many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon sitting around the club's pool having a superb brunch, lunch or early dinner of beef satay - we ( my then wife and I, and our young son & daughter) couldn't get enough of it. The kids loved it !
You have to try this - have it anytime with a group of family & friends while you happily grill, and everyone will love you for it - the taste is definitely something you won't forget about, I can assure you !
Here it is:
( A large enough recipe to feed anywhere from 4 or 5, up to 8-10 persons depending on the hunger levels).
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 to 2 lbs. of beef steak (in Singapore I believe they usually used flank, skirt, or chuck steak, but now I prefer to use strip loin, or sirloin), cut into strips approx. 3"-4" long x 1" or so wide X 1/8" - 1/4" thick - got it?
Mix well together the following in a large casserole baking dish, to which you will later add the meat slivers mixed in, and marinate covered in fridge for a minimum of 4 to 8 hours, but preferably overnite for at least 12 hours, occasionally stirring to mix.
- 3/4 cup of peanut oil or canola oil
-1/2 cup of tamari sauce (japanese soy sauce, thicker & less salty than chinese soy sauce- or alternatively, ketjap manis sauce )
- Juice of 1 lime and it's zest
- 2 T's (Tbspns) of fish sauce - any brand
- 3-4 finely diced garlic cloves
- 1 medium finely diced shallot
- 2 stalks of fresh lemon grass - white bottom parts only, bruised a bit with the handle of a large kitchen knife, and finely chopped
- 1 - 2"piece of fresh galangal root, peeled & finely chopped ( or equivalent in dried / powdered galangal).
(If this is not available at an asian market near you, substitute with fresh ginger root)
- 1 T of brown sugar
- 1 tspn. each of:
- curry powder
- cumin
- turmeric
- coriander -
- cayenne
For Skewering & grilling you'll need approx. 12-20 longish bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 1/2 hour beforehand. The beef slivers should be loosely skewered in a ribbon - S-shaped manner to expose as much meat as possible to the well heated bbq grates, and grilled for 3-4 minutes each side until fairly well seared.
SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
Serve kebabs immediately after grilling with this spicy peanut sauce for dipping:
Mix well together in a suitably-sized saucepan the following:
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (natural unsalted if available)
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 T lime juice
- 1 T fish sauce
- 1 T canola or peanut oil
- 1 tspn. of sriracha (chili-garlic sauce)
- 1/2 tspn. of sesame oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced shallot
- 1 tspn. finely minced garlic
- 1 tspn. minced fresh ginger root
- 1 tspn. finely chopped lemon grass
- 1 tspn. brown sugar
- Add some water if need be to get a suitable consistency. (Or more peanut butter if it's a bit too thin/runny)
Bring to a boil, lower heat & simmer for about 5 minutes, then cool for dipping the satay.
Just so you know, I got this recipe from the chef of the Tanglin Club In Singapore sometime in early 1977 after bugging him for several weeks to get it. I had to modify it a wee bit when we got back to Canada because I'd jotted everything down so quickly I couldn't totally read some of my own handwriting.
Of all my time in south-east Asia enjoying all the exotic foods I had there, I have to say this satay was the highlight of everything new that I tasted, and my most favorite dish of them all. My family & I spent many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon sitting around the club's pool having a superb brunch, lunch or early dinner of beef satay - we ( my then wife and I, and our young son & daughter) couldn't get enough of it. The kids loved it !
You have to try this - have it anytime with a group of family & friends while you happily grill, and everyone will love you for it - the taste is definitely something you won't forget about, I can assure you !
Here it is:
( A large enough recipe to feed anywhere from 4 or 5, up to 8-10 persons depending on the hunger levels).
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 to 2 lbs. of beef steak (in Singapore I believe they usually used flank, skirt, or chuck steak, but now I prefer to use strip loin, or sirloin), cut into strips approx. 3"-4" long x 1" or so wide X 1/8" - 1/4" thick - got it?
Mix well together the following in a large casserole baking dish, to which you will later add the meat slivers mixed in, and marinate covered in fridge for a minimum of 4 to 8 hours, but preferably overnite for at least 12 hours, occasionally stirring to mix.
- 3/4 cup of peanut oil or canola oil
-1/2 cup of tamari sauce (japanese soy sauce, thicker & less salty than chinese soy sauce- or alternatively, ketjap manis sauce )
- Juice of 1 lime and it's zest
- 2 T's (Tbspns) of fish sauce - any brand
- 3-4 finely diced garlic cloves
- 1 medium finely diced shallot
- 2 stalks of fresh lemon grass - white bottom parts only, bruised a bit with the handle of a large kitchen knife, and finely chopped
- 1 - 2"piece of fresh galangal root, peeled & finely chopped ( or equivalent in dried / powdered galangal).
(If this is not available at an asian market near you, substitute with fresh ginger root)
- 1 T of brown sugar
- 1 tspn. each of:
- curry powder
- cumin
- turmeric
- coriander -
- cayenne
For Skewering & grilling you'll need approx. 12-20 longish bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 1/2 hour beforehand. The beef slivers should be loosely skewered in a ribbon - S-shaped manner to expose as much meat as possible to the well heated bbq grates, and grilled for 3-4 minutes each side until fairly well seared.
SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
Serve kebabs immediately after grilling with this spicy peanut sauce for dipping:
Mix well together in a suitably-sized saucepan the following:
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (natural unsalted if available)
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 T lime juice
- 1 T fish sauce
- 1 T canola or peanut oil
- 1 tspn. of sriracha (chili-garlic sauce)
- 1/2 tspn. of sesame oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced shallot
- 1 tspn. finely minced garlic
- 1 tspn. minced fresh ginger root
- 1 tspn. finely chopped lemon grass
- 1 tspn. brown sugar
- Add some water if need be to get a suitable consistency. (Or more peanut butter if it's a bit too thin/runny)
Bring to a boil, lower heat & simmer for about 5 minutes, then cool for dipping the satay.
Last edited:
