Sate Matang (Cooked Beef Satay)
Grilled beef skewers coated in a rich, spiced peanut sauce with a subtle sweetness. A beloved Indonesian street food that's crispy outside and tender inside.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Beef sirloin or tenderloin
- 3 whole Shallots, peeled
- 4 whole Garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 oz Galangal root (or fresh ginger), peeled and chopped
- 2 whole Lemongrass stalks, white part only, chopped
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- ¾ cup Creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup Coconut milk
- 2 whole Shallots, peeled
- 2 whole Garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 whole Red chilies, seeded
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 whole Cucumber, sliced into rounds
- 2 whole Lime wedges
Instructions
- 1
Place 3 peeled shallots, 4 peeled garlic cloves, 1 oz chopped galangal, and 2 chopped lemongrass stalks into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fine and paste-like, about 30 seconds.
- 2
Pour the shallot paste into a medium bowl, then add 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 3
Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then cut it against the grain (perpendicular to the long muscle lines) into strips about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 0.5 inches thick.
- 4
Add the beef strips to the marinade bowl and turn each piece with your hands until all surfaces are coated; cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- 5
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes—the longer you can wait (up to 4 hours), the deeper the flavor.
- 6
Place 2 peeled shallots, 2 peeled garlic cloves, and 2 seeded red chilies into the food processor and pulse until very fine, about 20 seconds, scraping down the sides once.
- 7
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds until the oil flows smoothly when you tilt the pan.
- 8
Add the shallot-chili paste from the processor to the hot oil and stir constantly for 90 seconds until the paste turns darker and smells strongly fragrant.
- 9
Pour in 0.75 cup peanut butter, stirring with a wooden spoon until no lumps remain and the mixture looks smooth.
- 10
Slowly pour in 0.75 cup coconut milk while stirring continuously so the sauce blends evenly without separating.
- 11
Add 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stirring each in one at a time until fully incorporated.
- 12
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the sauce looks thick, smooth, and glossy; taste and adjust salt or sugar if needed.
- 13
Remove the beef from the refrigerator and slide 2 or 3 beef strips onto each wooden or metal skewer, threading the metal tip in and out of each piece once, and lay them flat on a plate.
- 14
Set the grill or grill pan to high heat and wait 3 minutes until you can feel strong heat radiating from the surface when you hold your hand 3 inches above it.
- 15
Lay the skewers on the hot grill grates with the beef running left-right across the grates, leaving 1 inch of space between each skewer.
- 16
Cook for 2 minutes without moving them, then use tongs to flip each skewer and cook the other side for another 2 minutes until the beef is browned and cooked through.
- 17
Remove the skewers from the grill and place them on a clean plate to rest for 2 minutes so the juices stay inside the meat.
- 18
Arrange the cucumber slices on a serving platter, lay the grilled skewers on top in a single layer, then drizzle the warm peanut sauce evenly across all the skewers.
- 19
Place 2 lime wedges on the platter next to the skewers; diners squeeze lime juice over their portion before eating.
Tools you’ll need
- Food processor
- Medium bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Paper towels
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Small saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Metal or wooden skewers (8–10 inches long)
- Grill or grill pan (cast iron or nonstick)
- Tongs
- Serving platter
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