What is Satay / Sate ?
Satay or Sate is a grilled skewered seasoned meat that is usually served with sauce. It is one of the most popular street foods in Southeast Asia. The earliest preparation of Satay is believed to have originated in Java and has now spread to all Indonesia and is considered the national dish. Indonesian Satay is usually drizzled with sweet soy sauce and served with peanut sauce, lontong (rice cake), and acar (cucumber pickle).
Since Satay has spread across Indonesia, you can find many types. The satay variants in Indonesia are usually named after the region of origin, the type of meat, parts, ingredients, or the method of cooking. In this recipe, I’m using pork. Since Indonesia is a Muslim country, pork satay is rare in most parts of Indonesia. You can find pork satay in the Chinese Indonesian community or in Bali. It is also popular in North Sulawesi, North Tapanuli, and Nias where most of the people are Christian.
Tips
- You can use combination of pork belly, pork roast, pork shoulder or any type of pork/meat parts that you like.
- Do not marinade the pork overnight! The meat chunks in this recipe are very small. The acid in the marination will weaken the meat’s tissue. Resulting to a dry, mushy and tough meat. Marinade the meat for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Soak bamboo skewers in a water bath for at least 30 minutes or overnight. This will prevent the skewers from burning when you grill the satay.
Other recipe that pairs well with Satay:
Sate Babi / Pork Satay
Course: MainCuisine: IndonesianDifficulty: Medium4
servings2
hours30
minutes255
kcalYield 30 pork satay.
Ingredients
1 lb of pork tenderloin
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp black peppercorn
1 tsp salt
7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
15 chillis, cut in fine rings
1 tsp ginger powder
1 inch galangal
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cutcherry powder
3 tbsp palm sugar
5 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed, julienne
5 tbsp sweet soy sauce
5 candlenuts
Directions
- Before cooking, leave the skewers themselves in water for at least half and hour. The longer the better.
- Cut the pork or any meat that you prefer into 1 inch cubes. Place all the meat into a bowl and set aside.
- Toast coriander seeds, black peppercorns, candlenuts in a frying pan for a few minutes. In a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind the coriander seeds, black peppercorn, candlenuts, salt, garlic, chilli, gingler, galangal, cutcherry powder, turmeric, and palm sugar until they turn into a fine paste.
- Heat some oil in a wok over medium heat and add the paste and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves and stir for another 2 minutes. Add sweet soy sauce, stir until combined and let the marinade cool completely.
- Mix the marinade and the pork and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Thread 3-4 pieces of cube pork onto the skewers.
- Grill the pork satay for 2 – 3 minutes on each side or until the meat is fully cooked. Serve with peanut sauce, lontong and acar.
