I Am Awesome! Thai Peanut Pork Satay

This has to be one of the most amazing Thai dishes I've ever made! 

I created it by combining 2 recipes and adjusting to my own tastes.  Everyone thought it was excellent!  But, I still had to do the dishes alone!  Ingrates!

Here is the final plate up just before I took it to the table and gobbled it all up!

Traditionally this dish would be served grilled on skewers and served with the peanut "dipping sauce"  I chose to leave my chops whole and drizzle the sauce rather than dip. No matter what type of meat, veg., or soy protein you choose to use for this dish it makes a great main course or a fun and delicious party food!

Thai Pork Satay Marinade (can be used with shrimp, beef, chicken, tofu, and veggies)

• 4-6 thin cut, pork chops (for skewars cut into thin strips)
• SATAY MARINADE:
• 2 shallots OR 1 small onion, sliced
•  cloves garlic
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, sliced, OR 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 inch ginger, pealed
• 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce (available at Asian food stores)
• 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 5-6 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 inches, crushed lemongrass (optional but recommended)

1. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well.
2. Adjust flavors to your liking.  Sweet, spicy, and salty flavors should be balanced.  Add more sugar, fish sauce, or chili sauce to adjust the taste.
3. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap on surface of meat for at least 1 hour (or overnight) .
4. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning).
5. Have everything else ready before starting the meat.  It cooks fast so set the table, get drinks, have your rice, sauce and salad all ready and plated up. 
6. Thread meat onto the skewers.  Poke skewer in and out, like weaving.  Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.
7. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

 

Satay Peanut Sauce Recipe

• 1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted (salted OK, just adjust other salted ingredients accordingly)
• 2-4 Tbsp. Smooth peanut butter (natural without added sugars preferred)
• 1/3 cup water
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. hot sesame oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 4-6 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 to 2.5 Tbsp. fish sauce - for vegetarians: substitute 2.5 to 3 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR  6-8 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1-1 1/2 cup coconut milk (boxed/canned OK, Fresh is best)
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste (optional variation)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth.  If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

Adjust ingredients according to your own tastes.  The coconut milk, peanuts, and peanut butter make this a very rich and creamy sauce.  I like to balance that richness out with a good amount of tanginess, provided by the limes (or a combination of lime juice and tamarind paste, and generous amount of chili sauce.

All of the elements of taste should be balanced and easily distinguished; sweet, salty, sour, spicy.  If any flavor element is over powering, balance it out by adding the flavors that are not as pronounced.  I usually start making adjustments by adding more coconut milk, lime juice, peanut butter, and chili sauce.

Add more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if not salty enough, more chili sauce if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

This sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.  I prefer room temperature.  It is great with Thai Pork Satay, or Thai Shrimp Satay, my two favorites.  It is also good with Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian/Vegan Satay.  It makes a great dressing for Thai-style noodle dish, cold noodle salad, or dipping sauce for fresh, spring or noodle rolls.

This sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.  I prefer room temperature.  It is great with  makes a great dressing for Thai-style noodle dish, cold noodle salad, or dipping sauce for fresh, spring or noodle rolls.

 Enjoy!

Note: This sauce tends to thicken as it sits - just add a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, as needed. Otherwise it stores well if kept covered in the refrigerator (keep up to 2 weeks; freeze thereafter).

I served this on a fresh Napa Cabbage, avocado, and herb salad that consisted of :

• Shredded Napa Cabbage
• Avocado slices
• Watercress leaves
• Cilantro leaves
• mint leaves
• thai lemon basil
• Thin sliced serrano pepper
• green onion chopped (green parts only)-garnish
• Dried red chilies- garnish that allows each individual to adjust the heat of their dish
• crushed roasted peanuts-garnish That tastes really good and adds a nice crunchy texture

• Place a generous amount of salad down on each plate.
• arrange meat
• place avocado around edges of meat.
• drizzle with Satay Peanut Sauce
• Garnish with crushed peanuts, green onion, and dried chilies

If you try this one out, let me know and Enjoy!