Beef satay

Serves: 4

If they like it, it serves 4 otherwise

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Totaltime: 45 minutes

Satays, skewers of seasoned meat that are easy to prepare and quick to cook, are ideal for warm-weather dining and out door grilling. Satays are the Indonesian version of shish kebab that does not have alternate layers of vegetables. They can be made with almost any meat, poultry or seafood. This seasoned dish is often served with a spicy and sweet sauce made of ground peanuts and peanut butter.

Ingredients

1 lb flank steak
3 2-inch pieces lemon grass
1 piece lemon rind
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably ketjap manis, a sweet soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
To taste salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

PEANUT SAUCE FOR SATAYS

2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste
3 tablespoons tamarind liquid
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Preparation

Cut the steak into one-inch cubes and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon grass and lemon rind. Put the onion, soy sauce, oil, shrimp paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and sugar in the container of a food processor or blender, and blend to a fine paste.
Pour this over the meat and blend well. Let stand one hour. Light and heat the grill.

Arrange equal portions of the meat on each of eight wooden skewers that have been pre soaked in cold water. Place the meat on the grill and cook about two minutes.
Turn and cook about two minutes on the other side. Serve with peanut sauce.

The sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the garlic and onion. Cook stirring over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the pepper flakes. Ginger, shrimp paste, tamarind liquid, sugar, peanut butter, and lemon or lime.
Whisk in the boiling water. When blended, remove from heat.
If the sauce starts to curdle, add a little more water.