Pork Satay
Close to a must for the modern barbecue, this is sweet and savory, with the aromatic lemongrass bringing it all together. Freeze the pork for about 30 minutes to facilitate slicing or, better yet, ask your butcher to slice it for you.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
- 1 teaspoon caramel (page 178) or sugar
- 3 tablespoons grape seed, corn, or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted (see page 15) and ground
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 5 ounces boneless pork butt (shoulder)
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour
- Peanut Sauce (page 62), warmed
- Asian-style Pickles (page 19)
Instructions
- Mix together the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Slice the pork as thinly as possible; you want strips about ¼ inch thick, 1 inch wide, and 6 inches long. Thread the pork slices onto the bamboo skewers, as if you were sewing. The pork should be slightly bunched together on the skewer, not flat.
- Start a charcoal or gas grill or broiler; the fire should be medium-hot, and the grill rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source. Pour the marinade onto a shallow plate and dip and roll each pork skewer in the marinade.
- Grill just until browned and cooked through. Serve hot with the Peanut Sauce for dipping and the Asian-style Pickles on the side.