Grilled meat on a stick, there is nothing better. Today I’m going to show you how to grill beef satay, or as it is sometimes called beef sates. These things are really good, and easy to make too. Basically they are little pieces of flavored beef on a stick. They make for an awesome appetizer, or you can eat a bunch as a meal.
The nice thing about making beef satay is that the seasoning options are pretty much endless. You can make these with any marinades or spices you like to make some interesting flavors. I’m going to make mine with a little lemongrass, garlic, chiles, and some fish sauce. I really like the flavor lemongrass add, and I think you will too.
When I make beef satay, I like to use flank steak. I think it is the perfect cut of beef for this recipe. When making beef sates you have to think small. These are meant to be eaten in just a couple of bits, so you are going to just have small little pieces of beef.
Here is what you will need to make beef satay:
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped.
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 jalapenos, or Thai chiles, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground coriander
1/3 cup fish sauce or soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Bamboo skewers, approximately 36, soaked in water for 1 hour
First off let’s prepare the flank steak. Take the flank steak and lay it flat on a cutting board. We are going to lightly score it in a crosshatch pattern on both sides. What this does is allows the marinade to absorb quicker. Once that is done thinly slice the steak crosswise into long thin strips. Each strip should be about 5 inches long and about 1/8 inch thick.
Thread each of the flank steak strips onto a bamboo skewer. Once they are all threaded onto the skewers place them into a shallow baking dish.
Now it is time to prepare the marinade. Combine the lemongrass, garlic, chiles, cilantro, and brown sugar in a food processor. Process this mixture into a thick paste. Add in the coriander, fish sauce, lime juice and 2 tbsp of oil. Continue to process the mixture. Once it is mixed well, pour the marinade over the beef skewers. Let this marinate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally so it is all well coated.
Set up your gas or charcoal grill for direct grilling over high heat. Place the beef satay on the grill. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, basting with the remaining oil. Once done remove from the grill and serve immediately. I like my beef sates with a bit of peanut sauce.
That is how to grill beef satay. It is really simple and flavorful. Experiment with different marinades and seasoning, because there are so many different flavors you could have. Make sure you get yourself a big pack of bamboo skewers, because you will need them. Here are the ones I use.
image courtesy of stu_spivack/flickr