pork satay

pork satay
serves 2

Peanut butter fans will love this spicy Malaysian peanut based sauce. While it’s brilliant with pork or chicken skewers, it’s also delicious slathered over grilled or roast veggies. And makes a surprisingly good accompaniment to seafood.

2 pork fillets
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1-2 teaspoons red curry paste
fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

1. Cut pork into bight sized cubes and place in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons soy sauce.

2. Place a skillet or frying pan on a high heat.

3. Combine peanut butter, curry paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons oil. Taste and add more curry paste if you need more.

4. Thread pork onto 4 bamboo skewers.

5. Add a little oil to the pan and cook pork for 3 minutes on the first side. Turn then cook for another 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. I prefer to leave it slightly pink in the middle to avoid drying out.

5. Serve skewers with satay sauce drizzled over and coriander leaves.

prepare ahead?

The sauce can be made a week in advance. The pork is best when freshly cooked but could be marinated in the fridge over night.

leftover potential

Will keep for over a week in the fridge.

variations for fun

chicken or beef – replace the pork with chicken breasts of beef filllet.

vegetarian / vegan – try tofu skewers instead of the pork. And make sure your curry paste doesn’t contain fish sauce. You can also add some veg to the skewers such as red peppers (capsicum), mushrooms or zucchini.

can’t find curry paste? – replace it with some freshly chopped red chillies and add a little more oil to the satay sauce.

budget – use a cheaper cut of meat such as pork neck or pork shoulder but be careful not to overcook to avoid tough meat. OR replace half the meat with vegetables such as red peppers (capsicum), mushrooms or zucchini.

problem solving guide

pork dry – it’s important not to overcook the pork as it easily dries out. Best to err on the side of slightly undercooked.

too salty – if your satay sauce is too salty or too hot, balance the flavour out with a little brown sugar.

sauce too stiff – stir in a little more oil or a splash of water to make for a more fluid sauce.

bland – add a little more soy or curry paste to boost the flavour of the satay sauce.

short on time? – skip the threading onto the skewers and just stir fry the cubes or pork until just cooked and serve drizzled with the peanut sauce.

serving suggestions

Serve with some of the sauce drizzled over and extra sauce on the side. Good with a green salad as well as the coriander (cilantro).

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