Beef Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Once you make this recipe, you'll never order Thai takeout again!

Peanut sauce is the classic condiment for satay, but so too is cucumber relish made with vinegar, sugar, spicy pepper, and red onion

Satay skewers are perfect for weeknight meals and parties alike because they can be prepped ahead of time and cooked quickly when you want to eat. This recipe doubles, even quadruples, easily no matter how many people you are feeding. The best part of of the preparation is that the whole thing can be cooked on the grill or under the broiler for the easiest cleanup ever. Just wash that marinade bowl and cutting board . . . oh, and your hands, of course!

Equipment: cutting board; chef's or carving knife; measuring spoons; large mixing bowl; whisk; heatproff spatula; skewers; grill or broiler pan; tongs or metal spatula

Ingredients for the beef: 1.5 lbs skirt steak 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon nam pla (fish sauce) 16 bamboo skewers vegetable oil

Ingredients for the peanut sauce: 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk 2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely ground

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 teaspoons nam pla (fish sauce)

1. To make the skewers, cut thin (1/4-inch) slices that run the width of the steak to get 16 slices. Place the beef strips in a large bowl. Add all the marinating ingredients from the black pepper to the fish sauce and toss well to coat. Let the beef marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

"Replace the beef with 3-4 chicken breasts if that's the protein you prefer. It's all about technique, not torture!"

2. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce. Heat half the coconut milk in a saucepan at high heat and add the red curry paste. Stir to dissolve and continue cooking at high heat for 10-12 minutes, until the oil from the coconut has risen to the surface. Lower heat to medium-high and add the processed peanuts and peanut butter. Stir and add the rest of the coconut milk. Bring to bubbling boil. Lower heat to medium and add sugar, lemon juice, and fish sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened somewhat and the oil has returned to the surface. Take off the fire and let rest for a half hour. Stir to blend oil that has risen to the surface. It should be the consistency of thick cream. If thicker than that add a couple of tablespoons of water and blend.

3. When ready to cook the satays, stir the beef in its marinade and then thread each slice onto a skewer, working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the slice, so that it stays in place during grilling.

4. Baste the beef lightly with oil and grill on a barbecue or under the broiler of an indoor oven. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side. Serve with the peanut sauce.

“The sauce can be served lukewarm or reheated to piping hot. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated (where it will solidify) and then reheated, thinned down with some water or coconut milk. It can also be frozen, and reheated another day, the same way.”

Placing aluminum foil beneath the exposed bamboo skewer can help to prevent burning, even if first soaked in water,

ILOC tip: soak the skewers in water for at least 20minutes up to one hour before you skewer the meat. This helps to lessen the burn of the bamboo.