PORK SATAY
(Muu Satay)

Satay is one of the most famous street foods of Thailand. You are drawn in by the sweet fragrance of this meat on a bamboo stick. Satay can be made from pork, chicken, lamb, shrimp, even calamari. Satays are cooked over charcoal grills along the street side. The meat takes on a wonderful smoky taste. It is usually served with a cucumber relish.

Satay Meat
6 shallots, chopped
1 tsp fresh turmeric root grated, or 1/2 tsp powdered turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tabs fish sauce (nam pla)
1 Tabs date palm sugar
1# pork, cut into thin 1 ½” x ½” strips

Marinade
1 cup coconut cream (thick part of the coconut milk NOT sweetened)
4-8 large dried red chiles, deseeded and chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 Tabs galangal, peeled and minced
1 tsp kaffir lime zest
2 coriander (cilantro) roots
1 tsp kapi (shrimp paste), roasted
1 Tabs coriander (cilantro) seeds, roasted
1 Tabs cumin seeds, roasted
1/2 tsp salt

SATAY SAUCE
3 cups coconut cream
Chile paste
3 Tabs fish sauce (nam pla)
3 Tabs date palm sugar
¼ cup tamarind water
2/3 cup raw peanuts, roasted and ground

Method:

Place the shallots, turmeric and salt in a mortar and pound into a fine paste. Mix the paste with the remaining marinade ingredients thoroughly coating the meat, and place in a covered bowl over night.
Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30-45 minutes.

Skewer the meat using an in and out sewing-like motion to secure the strips on the bamboo skewers. and grill over a low medium heat. Turn the strips and baste several times for about 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Serve with the satay sauce and cucumber relish.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34675.asp

Some people in the north of Thailand also serve with sticky rice.

To make the chile paste, place the paste ingredients in a mortar and pound until smooth. This can also be done in a food processor.

To make the satay sauce, boil the coconut cream for about 4 minutes in a saucepan until it begins separate. Add the chile paste and stir continuously to prevent burning. Fry until fragrant about 8 minutes. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes while you add the sugar, tamarind water, and fish sauce while stirring to incorporate these ingredients. Now add the peanuts and stir them into the sauce.

This sauce will be a balance of salty-sweet-sour-hot.
Serve satays with the Cucumber Relish, sauce, and cilantro and or sticky rice if desired.