December 5, 2016
Monthly Mystery Munchies #20: Satay Medley
I had to do a double-take upon starting this post when I realised that we are now on to our 20th edition of our wonderful Monthly Mystery Munchies. 4 more of this and we’ll be hitting our 2 years’ anniversary!
And to think that we’d be running out of ideas! Isn’t that just amazing?!
On Gen’s cue, this month’s BBQ theme is posted today instead of our regular Friday – a very fine idea of a good slab of meat on the grill; which happens to be my father-in-law’s aka Silver Bullet’s Dad’s specialty.
Except that the weather has not been a BBQ kind of weather. And our home is not quite a BBQ kind of home as we neither have a pit nor a griddle. Net-net, the idea of BBQ can’t really fly. But I was determined to make it work, plus! it does give me a very legitimate excuse to buy me a griddle!
Nothing like another piece of crockery to add on to my collection, I’d say. The Dutch oven is next!
A griddle without meat is a lonely one. So, with Gen’s challenge of the marinade being homemade on any type of meat, I’m roaring to go Asian-style with S.A.T.A.Y
Chicken and beef satay without the wooden sticks. Not forgetting the peanut sauce.
How did we do this?
Well…it’s really just a little bit of this and a little bit of that…it started with some meat and we are up to bat. Then it’s a little bit of spice, a little bit of tweaks, I’m telling you baby, it’s all in the game of munchies love.
- 500g chicken pieces, cut into small strips
- 500g beef shanks, cut into small strips
- 2 small shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 + 1 stalks lemon grass
- 1 inch fresh turmeric (peel off skin)
- 3cm-4cm long galangal
- 1.5 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1.5 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1.5 tbsp coriander powder
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
- Pinch of salt
- 600g peanuts, toasted in the oven
- 20-30 pieces dried chillies, sliced and soaked in hot water then drained after 10 minutes
- 12 small red onions
- 2 garlic
- 2cm ginger
- 30g galangal
- 2 lemongrass
- 650ml water
- 100g coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 50g sugar
- Oil
- Salt to taste
- Blitz all the marinade
- With chicken and beef packed separately in a ziplock bag, add in a generous amount of marinade to each
- Rub thoroughly and leave overnight in the fridge.
- When ready to cook, heat up griddle
- Using 1 stalk of lemon grass as a basting brush, brush oil all over the griddle and grill meat till it gets golden brown
- Remove from heat once cooked
- Coarsely ground toasted peanut and set aside
- Blend the rest of the ingredients (except sugar, oil and salt). Cook the blended paste in hot oil
- Stir well and cook till it's fragrant (about 10-15 minutes)
- Add in the toasted peanut. Mix well and let it thicken. If the gravy gets too thick, add some water to dilute it
- Add in sugar. Stir Well.
- Season with salt
- Cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes before turning off the fire
The ingredients may however be a little bit of a challenge, especially when it comes to things like lemon grass and galangal. Both are a pain in the ass to get if you are not in Asia, and fortunately there are a couple of obscure Asian shops in the next town here in the Netherlands that sell that!
As for the peanut sauce, you can always get store-bought ones if you are inclined to do so, especially if time is a constraint. But making peanut sauce from scratch can bring such immense satisfaction too!
BBQ pit or not pit, this works like a charm. The meat sizzles and I love that black streak effect left on the meat. There’s also just something about the combination of the marinade that makes the satay so addictive when you dip it in peanut sauce. And really, once you start, I’m afraid it’s hard to stop!
What do you think? Have you got other satay recipes you swear by? Because if so, pop me your link and I’d love to give your recipe a shot (then a shout!). Meantime, come follow me to check out my buddy over at Eat, Play, Clove with her very own homemade marinade of BBQ meat.
By now, you should already know how creative Gen can get to make it her own. If you aren’t drooling with what I have on my post, I bet you would be by the time you get to Gen’s.
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Monthly Mystery Munchies features every first Friday of the month in collaboration with Gen, Author of Eat, Play, Clove. Stay tuned for the mysteries we have up our sleeves in the next coming months!
Oh Ann, this is one of my favourites so far. TWO types of meat! Peanut sauce! Lemon grass. Spices. Will you marry me?
This – “Then it’s a little bit of spice, a little bit of tweaks, I’m telling you baby, it’s all in the game of munchies love.” – I giggled when I read it, and so did Gav. Well done for doing such a phenomenal job, especially when faced with the huge challenge of not having a BBQ or a griddle pan! I feel so bad though, that I made you spend money on new kitchen gear, but an enormous thank you for always rising to the occasion, with very little time, no less! Love this, and love you! Have a great week! XOXO
Hahahahha! Luckily we both are already married! You know this was one of my rarest attempt at satay and I still miss those sold at the hawker centers back in Singapore. It’s hard to replicate that taste i always knew.
Forget about the griddle! It was a VERY good excuse for me to splurge on myself no doubt so I can griddle away and make more satays!Now for a bigger kitchen…LOL! I had fun doign this and every month is fun with new food. You have been an amazing buddy Gen. I’d love to park my ass in your garden while the boys get busy with the braai! xoxoxo.
Oh, my. I think my stomach just rumbled to the sight of this.
Hahahhaha! Give it a go, Lux! You know you want to 😀