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Chicken satay
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Beef satay
Thai Satay

Satay is quick and great barbeque food. In Bangkok, satay is cooked in stands on the street, and served on-the-go from plastic bags for about 10-20 Baht a skewer.

The meat is eather chicken, beef or pork, cut into small pieces, marinated in coconut milk and curry powder, and grilled using bamboo skewers over charcoal.

In restaurants, it can be served with a side of peanut sauce (Nam Jim Satay) and/or cucumber in vinegar (Ahjaad).

Ingredients:
Satay

  • 1 lb pork and/or chicken
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • Bamboo skewers
  • Peanut sauce (optional)
  • Cucumbers in vinegar (optional)

Peanut Sauce

  • 1 tbsp tamarind
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp red curry paste
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk

Cucumber in Vinegar

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 long hot pepper, sliced

Preparation:
Satay

  1. Slice the meat into thin strips (about 1/4 inch thick) that will fit onto the skewers.
  2. Soak bamboo skewers at least half an hour so that the ends do not burn on the grill.
  3. Mix the curry powder, sugar, coconut milk and salt. Marinade the meat for the same amount of time that you soak the skewers.
  4. Thread the meat onto the bamboo skewers. In Thailand, the satay is grilled on a rectangular, narrow charcoal grill that fits just one row of satay. The charcoal has been burning for a while. It is hot, but not flaming. There should be white ashes covering the charcoal so that the satay can be cooked evenly without burning. Grill and serve with peanut sauce and cucumber in vinegar

Peanut Sauce

  1. Pour the coconut milk in a cold saucepan and start to heat it up at medium heat. As it is heating, stir in the curry paste and break the paste into small pieces. Mix well.
  2. When you see red oil simmering to the top, add the peanut butter and the rest of ingredients. Stir and taste. If it becomes too thick, add a few teaspoons of water to thin the paste.

Cucumber in Vinegar
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  1. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl. Chill and serve

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Last updated: October 12, 2010
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.