Recipes > Southeast-Asian Pork Satays

- Serves: 4 to 6
- Active Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Views: 47,566
- Success Rating: 95% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Marinating the Pork

- 1/2 cup roasted, Spanish peanuts
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger
- 2 tsp lemongrass
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup green onions
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup kecap manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin (can substitute with beef, chicken or lamb)
Method
To make the marinade, toast the coriander seeds until fragrant. Finely grind them with the chili flakes and set aside. Peel and roughly chop the ginger and garlic. Finely mince the lemongrass. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass to a food processor and purée.
Add the peanuts and pulse a few times. Next, add the green onions and cilantro and pulse again. Add the honey, fish sauce, kecap manis, lime juice, pepper, ground spices and purée. Lastly, add the melted butter and chicken stock. Pulse again and set aside while you prepare the pork.
Note: Soya sauce can be substituted for kecap manis if you cannot find it.
Trim the pork of any silver skin. Cut into bite-sized cubes. Place into a casserole dish, add the marinade and mix. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight. Soak the wooden skewers in cold water.
Step 2: Making the Peanut Sauce

- 1/4 cup roasted, Spanish peanuts
- 1/8 cup macadamia nuts (or candlenuts)
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1 small shallot
- 1 tsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the peanut sauce, roughly chop the macadamia nuts. Using a medium-size fry pan, toast the nuts over medium-low heat until golden. Set aside. Using the same pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. Grind the coriander, cumin and chili flakes until quite fine. Set aside.
Dice the onion and shallot. Saute over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes or until golden. Add the spices and coconut cream and let cook for a few more minutes. Add the coconut milk, palm sugar, kecap manis, salt and pepper. Cook for another few minutes before setting aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, pulse the nuts a few times. Add the above sauce and blend to combine. This peanut sauce is best served at room temperature.
Method
To cook the satays, preheat your oven to 400° degrees Fahrenheit. Place 3 or 4 pieces of meat onto each skewer, and set onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, rotating halfway through. These satays can also be grilled. Once done, garnish with a bit of cilantro and serve with the peanut sauce.
Chef's Notes
- by Dawn Thomas
- •
- October 25, 2007
This marinade is also great with chicken, beef, lamb or even tofu.
20 Comments
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Absolutely fabulous! Dave
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These satays and the sauce were delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except i cooked them for about 20min because i like the pork to be well done and they still turned out moist. I will definately make them again.
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I made these in preparation for a dinner party the day before and gilled them on the barbecue to perfection. I got rave reviews and already know this will be a new summer grilling favorite for friends and family alike. It was great to have all the prep done so you could relax and socialize then the only thing to do was be one with the Q. I left the weather to chance but thankfully that couldn't have been better if it tried.
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An outstanding recipe - the flavors (both of the marinade and sauce) were remarkable. I decided to cook them on a cast iron rack on the Big Green Egg at 400 degrees. After4 preheating for a good long time I oiled the grate and placed the skewers on the rack - and they stuck like glue! I'm not talking about some wimpy glue stick kind of glue - I'm talking industrial strength aircraft epoxy! I salvaged them and finished them in the oven. I'm thinking perhaps next time I'll try a grill pan inside. What do you suppose the cause of the sticking was? Thanks!
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I usually bake these (less cleanup and of course they never stick this way) but I have done them on the BBQ before and did not stick. Sorry to hear about the sticky situation you experienced. I am not sure exactly why they stuck for you. Perhaps the satays could have used a quick spray of oil before going onto the grill OR perhaps they just needed to be cooked longer and they may have just released on their own. I know if you are grilling and you take things off too soon, they can also stick. Glad to hear that you still really liked them and that you managed to salvage them! Just curious did you make the peanut sauce to go with them?
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Dawn - I did indeed make the peanut sauce. Remarkable! I have ordered a kebab stand to use on the BBQ and will try that soon. In reading reviews elsewhere of other foods cooked on the grill that incorporate sugar (or honey) in a sauce or marinade, apparently sticking is not uncommon. I am hopeful that the kabab set is the answer!
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So many great tastes In two sauces. Real hit tonight and I look forward to making it again. Thanks.
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Any thought on a sauce that doesn't use nuts? I would sure like to try them, but can't have nuts in the house. Thanks.
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I think that this dish is perhaps not the dish for someone that is allergic to nuts as peanuts are in both the marinade and in the sauce. Without the peanuts it's a completely different dish. That being said you can try the marinade without the peanuts or try a different dish like chicken souvlaki with tzatziki sauce. Cheers!
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Can I freeze the marinade en use it whenever I crave satay?
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Rouxbe Staff
I would think the marinade would be fine. It may lose a touch of flavor but it should be okay. You could even vacuum pack the marinade and the meat together. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking. I would think twice about freezing the peanut sauce though. It may suffer and become a bit watery once thawed. Cheers! -
I was wondering when I can use a blender instead of a food processor. Are the times you can use one in exchange for the other, and times when you can't? Thanks.
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great question.because i dont have a food processor
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Laura and Marilyn- There are many areas of overlap and I prefer a food processor for some tasks and a blender for other tasks. Sometimes the factor has more to do with volume and what I want as outcomes. If I want something to be really smooth (purees, smoothies, nut butter, soup), I use a high-speed blender (i.e. Vitamix or Blendtec). For coarser applications like pesto, shredding large quantities of vegetables, and chopping nuts I use a food processor. Enjoy! -
All I can find is ground coriander seeds. What would be the substitution ratio for the whole seeds?
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Hi Tim. Thank you for your question. Ground seeds will work just fine. I would reduce the quantity by half- so in this case, use 1 tsp. Enjoy. Lauren
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can i just replace the stock with water and swap the peanuts for peanut butter to make life alot easier when making this dish?
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what spanish peanuts do rouxbe use for this recipe what brand? thank you.
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I want to make this recipe and was wondering if I can do it with either a different meat or better yet, fish?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Wahiba- The recipe states you can substitute with beef, chicken or lamb. I recommend an oily fish that can withstand the marinade process and can be cut into large pieces that can be skewered if you would like to use fish. I would also consider making fish cakes to skewer. Avoid delicate fish meat. Enjoy!
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