Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 700 g (1½ lb) top sirloin, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) strips

Marinade

• 3 shallots, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cm (¾ in) fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp kecap manis (or soy sauce plus 1 tbsp brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Peanut sauce

• 150 g (1 cup) roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 red chillies, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk
• 1 tbsp kecap manis
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (or lime juice)
• 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Steps

1. Blend the marinade ingredients into a paste. Coat the beef, cover, and marinate in the fridge for 2 to 8 hours. Soak 20 bamboo skewers in water.
2. For the sauce, pulse the peanuts, chillies and garlic in a processor to a coarse paste.
3. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Cook the paste for 2 minutes until fragrant, then add the coconut milk, kecap manis, tamarind, sugar and salt.
4. Simmer on low for 8 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil shimmers on top. Loosen with a splash of water if needed.
5. Thread the beef onto skewers in loose folds. Heat a grill or grill pan to high.
6. Grill the skewers 2 to 3 minutes per side until charred at the edges and just cooked through. The sugars in the marinade burn fast, so watch them.
7. Serve hot with the warm sauce, cucumber, sliced shallot and rice cakes or steamed rice.

Notes

• Make ahead: the sauce keeps 4 days in the fridge; thin it with water when reheating.
• Wooden skewers: wrap the exposed ends in foil to stop scorching.
• Other cuts: tri-tip or flank both work.
• Air fryer: use short skewers that fit, preheat to 200°C (400°F), single layer, 6–8 minutes, turning halfway, until just cooked through.
• Freezer: freeze raw marinated skewers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
• Pair with: a quick atjar of cucumber, shallot and chilli in rice vinegar.