Thai Pork Satay

Method

1. 01

   Cut uniform pork strips

   Chill pork 20 minutes, then cut across the grain into 4 × 2 × 0.6 cm strips. Pat dry and discard pieces too thick to fold once around a skewer; uniform thickness prevents raw centres.

   

2. 02

   Make the turmeric marinade

   Whisk 150 ml coconut milk with turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, 15 ml fish sauce, and 20 g palm sugar until smooth. Reserve 40 ml in a clean covered cup before it touches raw pork for basting.

   

3. 03

   Marinate under refrigeration

   Coat pork with the remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate 4–8 hours below 4°C. Do not exceed 12 hours because the salted coconut marinade can make thin slices soft and cured at the edges.

   

4. 04

   Cook the peanut curry sauce

   Simmer remaining 150 ml coconut milk over medium heat 3 minutes. Fry red curry paste 2 minutes, then whisk in peanut butter, 200 ml water, tamarind, 25 ml fish sauce, and 45 g palm sugar; simmer 6–8 minutes until glossy and spoon-coating.

   

5. 05

   Make and cool cucumber relish

   Boil vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt for 1 minute, then cool fully. Add cucumber and shallot only 20 minutes before serving so they stay crisp; refrigerate until the skewers are ready.

   

6. 06

   Thread thin folded ribbons

   Thread 3–4 pork strips on each soaked skewer, folding each strip once into a loose S shape. Keep the meat in a single thin plane and leave 5 cm bare handle; discard raw marinade.

   

7. 07

   Preheat two grill zones

   Heat one grill zone to medium-high and leave another at medium-low. Clean and oil the grate; a hand should tolerate the hot zone for only 2–3 seconds at 12 cm above the grate.

   

8. 08

   Sear and baste with clean marinade

   Grill skewers on the hot zone 60–90 seconds per side until marked. Move to the cooler zone, brush only with the reserved clean 40 ml marinade, and turn every minute for 3–5 minutes more.

   

9. 09

   Verify every skewer

   Check the thickest fold on at least six skewers reaches 71°C with no translucent pork. Move any cooler skewers to the low zone for 1-minute intervals; rest all cooked skewers 3 minutes on a clean tray.

   

10. 10

    Serve three-part satay set

    Rewarm peanut sauce to steaming but not boiling, loosen with up to 30 ml water if needed, and serve beside hot skewers and chilled cucumber relish. Keep each component separate so the grilled edges remain dry.