Recipe video above. Meat on sticks is always a good thing, and Thai Beef Satay is one of the best! In this beef version of Thai Chicken Satay, a secret tenderising satay marinade makes economical steak astonishingly succulent. So good, you can eat it plain – but no one in their right mind would skip the Thai Peanut Sauce!Note: Baking soda tenderised beef needs to be thoroughly cooked to be tender. The beef is still a bit chewy if it's medium or less (because we're using economical beef).Top tip: Excellent to grill on the BBQ, or even better, over charcoal for a truly authentic Thai experience.Use leftover sauce for Thai Chicken Satay, Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce) or just douse a bowl of plain rice. You can't go wrong!
If cooking on a BBQ or over charcoal, soak skewers for 2 hours in water so they don't burn.
Thai Beef Satay Skewers:
Mix together the beef and Marinade in a bowl. Cover with cling wrap and marinate overnight (do not reduce marinating time else the beef may not tenderise enough).
Thread onto skewers - I do 4 pieces each.
Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat.
Cook 10 minutes (yes, well done!): Cook skewers in batches for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on all 4 sides until deep golden (total of 8 to 10 minutes) and fully cooked through. (Note: baking soda tenderised beef needs to be thoroughly cooked to be tender. The beef is still a bit chewy if it's medium or less.)
Rest: Transfer skewers to plate and rest for 3 minutes before serving with Peanut Sauce.
Thai Peanut Sauce:
Place all Peanut Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Stir to combine then simmer, stirring every now and then, for 5 minutes. Adjust consistency with water - it should be a pourable but thickish sauce.
Remove from stove, cover with lid and keep warm while cooking skewers.
Serving:
Pour sauce into a bowl. Sprinkle with some peanuts - stir some through if you want.
Pile satay skewers onto a platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, coriander and chilli.
1. Skewers used for Asian satay tend to be shorter than Western skewers. I like them because they fit in skillets! I get them from Asian stores. Feel free to make giant ones with longer skewers.2. Beef - I use rump steak (top sirloin in the US) which is a mid range economical cut with good beefy flavour that can sometimes be a bit chewy. However, the baking soda/bi carb in the marinade tenderises it - a Thai cooking secret!If you use a well-marbled, more premium steak cut, such as a good quality scotch fillet (boneless rib eye), then there's no need to use the baking soda. But do take care when cooking the skewers not to overcook the beef!In theory, this recipe will work for pork as well (including tenderising) but I haven't experimented with different cuts. For chicken, see Thai Chicken Satay.3. Coconut milk - Not all coconut milk is created equal. Cheaper brands are diluted with water so have less coconut flavour. I use Ayam which is 89% (some are as low as 53%). As for low fat? I take no responsibility if you opt to use it!Leftover coconut milk - freeze it. Find a recipe using leftovers by typing "coconut milk" in the search bar on my website, then hit "Using this ingredient".4. Curry powder - any is fine here because it's a background flavour. I use Clives or Keens (mild, not hot)5. Red curry paste - The best Thai red curry paste (in my opinion) is Maesri which comes in small cans and also happens to be the cheapest. Sold at large supermarkets (Coles, Woolies, Harris), Asian stores. But any brand will do because it's an enhancer rather than key flavouring.If using homemade Thai red curry paste, double the curry paste, add 1 tsp fish sauce + 1 tsp sugar into the beef marinade, and 2 tsp fish sauce + 2 tsp sugar into Peanut Sauce (homemade doesn't have the seasonings jar paste does).6. Baking soda / bi-carb - This tenderises the beef so mid range steak becomes succulent. Based on a infamous Chinese restaurant technique to velvet beef. See in post for more information.7. Natural peanut butter is 100% peanuts and has a stronger peanut flavour than commercial peanut butter which has sugar and other additives. It is also thinner so less water is required to achieve the right consistency. Pretty widely available nowadays in the health food section of supermarkets.Can use normal peanut butter spread but the peanut flavour is not as good and sauce will be thicker. Do not be tempted to dilute with too much water - it will dilute the flavour.Sub: 1 cup raw unsalted peanuts blitzed until smooth with 1/2 cup or so coconut milk called for in the peanut sauce (helps make it super smooth).8. Dark soy sauce adds seasoning and deepens colour of sauce. Can sub with light or all purpose soy sauce but sauce colour will be lighter.9. Cider vinegar can be subbed with plain white vinegar. Lime juice, rice vinegar or other clear vinegars are an ok substitute but not 100% authentic.10. Peanut Sauce - makes a bit more than you need. Lasts 1 week in the fridge - or freeze. Use leftover for: