Satay Daging (Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce)

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Satays, or sates, are popular throughout Malaysia and the 13,000 some islands that comprise the county of Indonesia. They are miniature brochettes or kabobs made of bite-sized pieces of meat and grilled on bamboo skewers over glowing charcoal. Eaten as a snack, appetizer, or part of the meal itself. They can be made of beef, chicken, pork, as well as lamb, depending on local custom and individual tastes. They contain meat only, never vegetables, and are served with a spicy sauce, such as Sambal Kacang, on the side for dipping. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 Thai chiles, stems removed, or substitute serrano chiles

  • 4 green onions, chopped including some of the greens

  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil plus oil for basting

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind juice

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh preferred

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

  • 1.5  pounds sirloin beef, cut in 1-inch cubes

  • Sambal Kacang 

Instructions

Place the chiles, onion, ginger, and garlic in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, adding some of the peanut oil, if necessary, to make a paste.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy saucepan, add the spice paste and saute the mixture for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the beef, and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, about 15 minutes. If the marinade becomes too thick, thin with hot water. Allow the mixture to cool.

Place the beef cubes in a heavy plastic bag and add the marinade. Marinate the beef overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the beef and thread on skewers.

Preheat a gas gill to high or, if using charcoal, the coals should be glowing. Grill the satays until done, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Brush them constantly with the oil and turn frequently to prevent burning. Cut one cube to check for doneness, they should be slightly charred on the outside and just done on the inside.

To serve, place the satays on a platter, and serve the Sambal Kacang sauce on the side for dipping.

Piri Piri Sauce

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Cuvée Executive Chef Dean Brunner notes: “It consists of habaneros (and a few other seriously hot donations from local fans), plus jalapeños. We like the burn to have great spirit but also be well balanced.” He suggests marinating the shrimp in the sauce for at least an hour before grilling them.

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell bepper, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped

  • 4 jalapeno chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped

  • 4 mirasol chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped

  • 4 habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped

  • 2 rocotillo chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely chopped (or substitute serranos)

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

  • 1 cup white wine vinegar

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse blend until somewhat smooth. Pour into a jar and mix in the oil and salt and pepper. Note that chiles vary with seasonal availability.

Louisiana-Type Hot Sauce

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This recipe is from The Hot Sauce Bible, by Dave DeWitt and Chuck Evans. They say that the key to success with this sauce is to use fresh rather than dried chiles and that any small fresh hot chile can be used.

Ingredients

  • 15 to 20 large fresh Tabasco chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise, or substitute fresh piquins or cayennes

  • 2 cloves garlic, cut in half

  • ½ cup distilled white vinegar

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the chiles, cut side down, on a broiler rack. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the skin blisters and blackens. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag and let stand for about 10 minutes. Peel the chiles when cool.

 

Place the chiles and garlic in a blender or food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the vinegar until the mixture is well blended. Add salt to taste. Keep covered and refrigerated until you use it.

Yield: ½ cup

Heat Scale: Hot

 

K.B.’s Goat Pepper Sauce

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It’s really exciting to discover a unique but authentic island hot sauce recipe! This makes enough sauce to last for maybe a year in the refrigerator. Note that it is uncooked. Grind or process the peppers in a well-ventilated space, or preferably outdoors. Warning: the heat level of this sauce is off the scale, so use it sparingly. The Bahamas have an extensive sea salt extraction operation, so that is the preferred salt.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound goat peppers (habaneros), seeds and stems removed, halved

  • ½ pound garlic, peeled

  • White vinegar as needed

  • Sea salt to taste, about 1 teaspoon

  • Olive oil as needed

Instructions

In a food processor, combine, in small batches, the goat peppers and garlic and puree into a paste. Make sure that the peppers and garlic are well mixed. Place in a large jar and cover with vinegar. Add the sea salt and mix well. Then pour 2 inches of olive oil on top of the mix. K.B. says the oil keeps the air out and preserves the pepper.

 

K.B.’s Bird Pepper Rub

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Another incredibly hot condiment, this rub should be used sparingly. You can use any piquins, chiltepins, tabascos, or other small, hot chiles in this recipe. It is good to coat fish to be grilled or conch to be fried up in oil. Rub the mixture lightly onto the fish fillet or conch. Squirt lime juice over the food. Then seal in a zip bag for 2 to 3 hours before cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1 handful (½ cup) bird peppers, fresh or dried

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)

  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

Instructions

In a mortar, grind together all the ingredients into a paste.