Satay and Peanut Sauce (Satay Gai / Neua)

Ingredients

• For the marinade
• 500 g chicken thigh or beef sirloin, sliced thin, flat against the grain
• 100 ml coconut cream
• 1 tsp turmeric, fresh grated or dried ground
• 1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed, finely sliced
• 10 g galangal, peeled, finely sliced
• 2 shallots, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp palm sugar, shaved or chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• For the peanut sauce
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp neutral oil or coconut cream, cracked, for frying the paste
• 150 g roasted peanuts, coarsely ground — not smooth peanut butter
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp tamarind water, strained
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, shaved or chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• For the cucumber relish (ajat)
• 80 ml rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, shaved or chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
• 20–24 bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes

Method

1. 1
   Combine all marinade ingredients — coconut cream, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, palm sugar, fish sauce, cumin, and coriander — in a blender and process to a smooth paste, so the aromatics are fully broken down and will penetrate the meat rather than sit on its surface. Toss the meat slices thoroughly in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. The marinade should coat every surface of each slice; the meat will take on the characteristic golden-yellow of the turmeric.
2. 2
   Combine rice vinegar, palm sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before adding the cucumber, shallot, and fresh red chilli — adding the vegetables while the liquid is still warm would soften them and turn the relish murky. The relish is ready when it is sharp, sweet, and fragrant with chilli.
3. 3
   Heat the oil or cracked coconut cream in a heavy pan over medium heat, add the red curry paste, and fry, stirring continuously, until the paste is fragrant and the fat begins to separate from the solids — this separation tells you the raw edge has cooked out of the paste and the flavour is fully open. Add the coarsely ground roasted peanuts and stir to coat, then pour in the coconut milk, tamarind water, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer over low heat, stirring regularly, until the sauce reaches the consistency of a thick gravy that coats the back of a spoon; finish with additional coarsely ground peanuts for texture, and taste for the balance of rich and nutty, savoury, sour, and moderately sweet — no single element should dominate.
4. 4
   Thread the marinated meat slices onto the soaked bamboo skewers in a flat arrangement so that every part of the slice sits at the same distance from the heat and cooks evenly rather than bunching at the centre. Fan the charcoal coals to full intensity before cooking begins, then lay the skewers flat against the grill so the full surface contacts the heat simultaneously, and do not move them for the first 60 seconds — the coconut cream in the marinade caramelises rapidly at charcoal temperature, and that first contact should deliver an immediate sweet coconut-Maillard aroma, smoke, and lemongrass; too low a temperature and the marinade steams, losing the caramelised surface that defines the satay. This is where the dish lives or dies: cook approximately 30 seconds per side, aiming for a deep gold to light char — not white and not uniformly black.
5. 5
   Remove the skewers from the grill while the interior is just cooked through; the caramelised zones should be deep and rich, and the lighter areas between grill marks should still carry the golden colour of the marinade. Serve immediately alongside the peanut sauce and the cucumber relish — its sharp, sweet character relieves the richness of the sauce and the intensity of the char.