ellen@ucla-cs.UUCP (08/10/84)
Now that summer is almost over, i'm sending some recipes for barbecued
food. Perfect timing.
Sate' (pronounced sah'-tay) is so popular that even Thai restaurants
serve it. Basically, sate' is marinated and grilled <something> on a
bamboo skewer served with rice, quick cucumber pickles, sambal
(ground fresh chili paste) and a choice of dips - one sweet soy sauce,
the other spicy peanut butter. I include recipes for chicken and beef,
although other things may be used - similar marinades can be used for lamb,
(in Indonesia, it would be goat), pork (eaten by non-Moslems), tofu
(called tahu), and tempe'(an Indonesian soy food, made of mold-inoculated
soy beans. Don't say "yuck," afterall, that's how cheese is made, and tempe'
takes only a day or two to prepare in the tropics. It's also the ONLY known
vegetable food to contain vitamin B12). A milder marinade, without the soy
sauce, could be used for fish. On chicken sate', the Indonesians usually
include a piece or two of skin, and possible liver/or heart/or intestines
(i actually LIKED the chicken intestines, called usus, but they're not too
available in your friendly supermarkets).
Note: While sate' is of preference (tradition) cooked over a charcoal fire,
i've prepared it in my broiler. It may lack a bit in the smokey flavor
department, but it sure is easier to do.
SATE' AYAM (sah'-tay I'-yahm) - chicken sate' (serves ? 4 ? )
3 chicken breasts (or parts of your preference) - about 1-1/2 lbs.
1/2 tsp. salt 2 cloves garlic
2 Tb. lemon juice 1 small onion (or 4 shallots)
3 Tb. soy sauce 1 Tb. palm or brown sugar
(salty or sweet) 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
Cut chicken meat into (approx.) 3/4" cubes. Grind together all remaining
ingredients. Marinate meat in soy sauce and spice mixture at least 2 hr.
Thread about 5 pieces of chicken onto each bamboo skewer (A trick is to
soak the bamboo skewers in water for several hours before using, so they're
not so burnable). Grill over a hot (not flaming) charcoal fire for about
10 min., turning 2 or 3 times. Serve with sauces, etc. (Recipes follow)
SATE' DAGING (sah'-tay dah'-ging) - beef sate' (serves ? 4 ? )
1 lb. beef (or lamb or pork) 2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tb. tamarind pulp, dissolved in 1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper and strained
1 Tb. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. ground coriander seed
2 Tb. soy sauce 1/8 tsp. ground cumin seed
(sweet, preferably) 1 Tb. palm or brown sugar
Cut meat into (approx.) 3/4" cubes. Mix together remaining ingredients.
Marinate meat in spiced soy sauce for at least 2 hr. Thread 4-5 pieces onto
each bamboo skewer (see "trick" above). Grill over a hot (not flaming) charcoalfire for about 15 min., turning about 3 times, and brushing with marinade.
Serve with sauces, etc. (Recipes follow).
SAMBAL KECAP (sahm'-bahl ke'-chahp) - Spicy Soy Sauce
(And yes, it's the Malay word, derived from a Chinese source,
borrowed by the British, from which WE derive catsup/ketchup)
4 Tb. Kecap Manis = sweet soy sauce 1/8 tsp. ground coriander seed
(or use Japanese soy sauce and add 1/8 tsp. ground cumin seed
2 more Tb. palm/brown sugar) 1 Tb. tamarind pulp, soaked in
1 Tb. palm or brown sugar 1/4 c. warm water & strained
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper 1-2 tiny green chilis, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic (sometimes called bird's-eye chili)
1 Tb. lemon juice crispy fried onion flakes
(sometimes these can be purchased
from your local Indonesian purveyor)
Grind to a paste the 1st 8 ingred. (all except chilis and onion flakes).
Simmer briefly. Cool. Pour into small decorative dishes (one for every
1 or 2 diners) and float chilis and onion flakes in sauce.
TO MAKE ONION FLAKES: coarsely chop a small onion. place pieces on paper
towel and allow to dry out a bit (several hours is probably o.k.).
Deep fry in hot vegetable oil. Watch with an eagle eye, and retrieve
with a skimmer as soon as they start to brown.
SAMBAL KACANG (sahm'-bahl kah'-chahng) - Spicy Peanut Sauce
4 oz. crunchy roasted peanut butter (not raw peanut butter, and not some
hydrogenated and additive-ed abomination - just NATURAL)
1/2 tsp. salt 2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper 1 small onion (or 4 shallots)
2 Tb. lemon juice 1 Tb. brown sugar
3 Tb. Kacap Manis = sweet soy sauce 1/4 tsp. sambal ulek (pron.- oo'-lek)
(see remarks above) (this is Indonesian ground red chili
paste - substitute crushed dried red
chilis, soaked in 1 tsp. warm water)
Grind garlic and onions to paste (in mini-blender jar). Mix together all
ingred. except peanut butter. Simmer on low-medium heat. When onion is
soft and transparent, stir in peanut butter, and remove from heat. You
may need to add a bit more liquid - this should not be stiff, tho' neither
should it be runny.
ACAR KETIMUN (ah'-chahr keh-tee'-mun) - Cucumber Pickle
1 cucumber, cut lengthwise in thirds, then crosswise in about 1/4" thick slices
1 tsp. salt 2 Tb. WHITE vinegar
2 Tb. WHITE sugar water to cover
Rub cucumber pieces well with salt, then sugar, in a bowl, with your fingers.
Stir in vinegar, then stir in water just to cover. Chill in refrigerator 'til
dinner time, drain and serve. Adjust salt and sugar to your taste. Often
served in tiny dishes along with pickled bird's-eye chilis (available in
Thai and Pilipino markets).
ASINAN (ah-seen'-ahn) (asin means salty)
1-1/2 c. bean sprouts 1/4 c. WHITE vinegar
1-1/2 c. shredded Chinese cabbage 1 Tb. or more WHITE sugar
1 cucumber 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. tiny dried shrimp, soaked in crushed dried chilis -or-
warm water -OR- sambal ulek (to taste, 1/4 to 1 tsp.)
tiny fresh (cooked) or canned 1/2 c. roasted peanuts
shrimp (optional) 1-2 green onions, finely sliced
Lightly steam sprouts and cabbage separately - i usually just put each in a
strainer or colander and pour boiling water over them. Peel cucumber, cut
in thirds lengthwise, seed if desired, then slice thinly crosswise. Mix
vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili. Toss with vegetables (including green
onion) and shrimp (if using). Add peanuts just before serving.
This keeps in the refrigerator a few hours without the peanuts.