A national dish of Indonesia, the satay, is a marinated skewered meat with sauce, usually spicy. Satay is often served in Malaysia by street-side vendors. It's an easy and quick solution to backyard grilling. I thought this would be a fun dish to cook street-side on 67th Street in NYC on Live! The three of us had a blast making this on a NYC street - imagine the fun you and your guests can have in your backyard. It's also one of those informal dishes that doesn't require a fork and a knife.
TIP: I always prefer using metal skewers as I find the food cooks faster and more uniformly. But bamboo skewers are very handy when in a pinch and when cleanup of the skewers is not practical. Just make sure to soak the bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes before threading to avoid the skewers from burning up on the grill.
Pork Satay with Sesame Dipping Sauce
Makes 6 servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 3-inch-long pieces
For the Marinade:
1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Juice from two limes
Three cloves garlic, chopped
Two teaspoons each of soy sauce and sesame oil
1 green onion, chopped
6 long skewers
Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
Cut pork lengthwise into thin 1/4-inch slices. Tip: It is easier to cut meat when it is very cold.
Thread pork onto each of the six skewers. Reserve 1/3 cup of marinade in a small bowl. Brush the remaining marinade over both sides of the pork. Cover the pork, and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill pork until cooked through, two-four minutes per side. Brush pork with reserved marinade. If available, serve on a fresh banana or ty leaf and top with chopped green or red onion.
Although serving a peanut dipping sauce with a satay is very common, I find my Sesame Dipping Sauce to go better with the pork.
For the Sesame Dipping Sauce
Recipe George Hirsch | Makes one cup
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons Mae Ploy Chili Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl one hour before serving. Serve as a dipping sauce for Satay, steamed dumplings, or summer rolls.
Optional: to make spicy add 1 teaspoon of chili sauce or hot pepper flakes.