STRATEGY SESSION: Georgie’s approach to this Indonesian/Malaysian classic has several components. She minimizes fat and calories by selecting a lean protein and trimming it meticulously (as demonstrated in Pork Surgery). Then, she maximizes the monounsaturated fat content of the sauce by combining the peanut butter (only 8 g mono.  per tablespoon) with macadamia nut oil (14 g mono. per tablespoon) . Finally, she moderates the glycemic load of the entire dish by substituting Splenda for some of the sugar.

Although I’ve made several satays, I had never looked deeply into the subject  until I started working on this post. Did you know that Wikipedia identifies 28 different satays from Indonesia alone? The list of proteins is mind-blowing: pork, chicken, beef, spicy beef brisket, lamb, mutton, goat, goat or cow offal, “5-month-old kid”, ayam kampung (a native breed of poultry), water buffalo, rabbit, “gizzard, liver, and intestines of…a migrating sea bird”, milkfish, eel, horse meat, turtle, snake, chicken skin, immature chicken egg, chicken liver, and goat testicles.

While I was metabolizing this information (especially those goat testicles), I started to wonder about variability in the sauce as well. This actually mattered because I had read that “turmeric is a compulsory ingredient” in the marinade and Georgie’s recipe didn’t contain any.  I had to decide whether to request a revision. To my surprise (and relief) only 1 of the 9 recipes I found contained turmeric in any form.

However, my search yielded some interesting data on marinade/sauce ingredients. Basically, satay consists of a protein marinated in a combination of sweet, salt, acid, fat, aromatics, spices, and heat. All of the recipes contained some, but only one contained all. Here’s what I found in each category:

SWEET: palm sugar, mirin, white sugar, brown sugar, dark brown sugar, peach nectar, seasoned rice vinegar (both sweet and acidic)

SALTY: salt, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce

ACIDIC: tamarind pulp (also somewhat sweet), dry white wine, sake, rice vinegar, lime juice, distilled white vinegar

FAT: vegetable oil, ground sesame seeds, peanut butter

AROMATICS: shallots, ginger, garlic, lemongrass

SPICES/HERBS: fresh whole or ground turmeric, whole coriander seeds, fresh cilantro

HEAT: sambal oelek, tobasco, cayenne

Georgie’s in great shape with 6 out of 7: sweet/brown sugar, salty/tamari. acid/lemon juice, fat/ peanut butter & macadamia oil, aromatics/onion & garlic, heat/sriracha.

In her own words: “This recipe is all about the amazing sauce. The spicy and and savory peanut sauce brings very lean cuts of meat to life, and is wonderful spooned over cooked hulless barley or brown rice. This recipe can also be cooked on an indoor or outdoor grill, and works equally well with skinless chicken breast in place of the pork tenderloin. If you prefer a version without spice, omit the sriracha sauce or use a smaller amount.”

Georgie Fear’s Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce

• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Splenda granular
• 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat

1. In a blender or food processor, combine peanut butter, onion, lemon juice, tamari, brown sugar, Splenda, macadamia nut oil, garlic, sriracha, and water. Process until smooth. ( Makes about 1 cup of sauce.) Transfer ¼ cup sauce to a large bowl and reserve the rest.
2. Slice the trimmed pork into ¼” thick ribbons.  Add the meat to the bowl, and stir to coat. Allow the meat to marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the broiler. Thread the meat onto 8 skewers, and arrange skewers in a single layer on a broiler pan covered with a piece of tin foil. Broil until the pork is browned, then flip each skewer with tongs and return to broiler to brown the other side.
4. When the pork is cooked to desired doneness, remove from broiler and brush both sides of each skewer with reserved sauce. Serve any remaining sauce in small bowls for dipping.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 288 calories, 11 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 109 mg cholesterol, 8 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 38 g protein, 705 mg sodium.

 

Variation: Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Substitute 1½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts for pork tenderloin in the recipe above.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 290 calories, 10 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 97 mg cholesterol, 8 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 42 g protein, 725 mg sodium.