Name: Indonesian Beef Satay with Chili and Lime
Prep time: 150 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb beef sirloin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 4 shallots, 2 chopped, 2 thinly sliced for serving; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), divided; 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for brushing; 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar; 2/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts; 1 tsp sambal oelek; 2 limes, 1 juiced, 1 halved; 2 fresh red chilies, sliced; 8 lettuce leaves, such as green leaf; 12 bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes

Indonesian Beef Satay with Chili and Lime

4.7 from 622 home cooks Free

Beef marinated in shallot, coriander and sweet soy caramelizes into dark, sticky edges on bamboo skewers. They land on cool lettuce over a rich peanut sauce, with raw shallot, fresh red chili and lime for squeezing. Street food from Java that makes a backyard grill smell incredible.

Prep

2 hr 30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

2 hr 50 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Indonesian

Method

Step 1: Blend the chopped shallots, garlic, coriander, cumin, 3 tbsp of the kecap manis, the oil and palm sugar into a paste. Toss with the beef until every cube is coated, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.
Step 2: For the peanut sauce, grind the peanuts in a food processor until they look like coarse sand. Scrape into a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water, the remaining 1 tbsp kecap manis, the sambal and a pinch of salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, until thick enough to hold a line. Stir in half the lime juice.
Step 3: Thread 4 or 5 cubes onto each soaked skewer, leaving small gaps so heat reaches every side.
Step 4: Heat a grill or grill pan to high and brush the grates with oil. Grill the skewers 2 to 3 minutes per side, brushing once with leftover marinade early on, until charred at the edges and just pink inside, or 130 to 135F after a short rest for medium-rare.
Step 5: Spread the peanut sauce on a platter, lay the lettuce leaves over it, and set the skewers on top. Scatter over the sliced shallots and chilies, drizzle with the remaining lime juice, and tuck in the lime halves.

Kitchen note

Kecap manis is thick with palm sugar, so it scorches quickly; brushing the marinade on only during the first minutes gives a dark glaze without a bitter, burnt crust.