Thai Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Real Thai satay is nothing like the bottled stuff you squeeze from a jar.

Strips of pork or chicken get pounded into a fragrant marinade built from lemongrass, galangal, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, ground coriander, and yellow curry powder, all loosened with thick coconut milk.

After an hour soaking up those aromatics, they hit the grill until charred and smoky.

The peanut sauce is made entirely from scratch too: dried chilies, shrimp paste, cilantro root, more lemongrass, and coconut milk simmered down with peanut butter into a rich, spicy, nutty dip that clings to every bite.

This is a project, but the kind that makes you feel like a proper cook when you pull it off.

Chef Tips

• Wear gloves when mixing the turmeric-heavy marinade by hand; it stains skin and cutting boards bright yellow
• Soak dried chilies in warm water until soft before blending them into the peanut sauce paste for a smooth, even heat
• Grind the marinade ingredients as fine as possible in a food processor so the paste coats the meat evenly
• Thread the meat onto bamboo skewers that have soaked in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill