Steven Raichlen serves these with a garlicky peanut dipping sauce and a relish of sliced cucumber with minced shallot and chile pepper in a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar. You will need 8-inch bamboo skewers and an aluminum foil grill shield. Adapted from “Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue!” (Workman, $22.95). Makes 6 appetizer servings or 4 light main courses.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds rib-eye steak (about 1/2-inch thick)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce or soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Cut the steak, including the fat, into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a non- reactive mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, coriander, turmeric, cumin, pepper, fish sauce and oil. Let the beef marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Drain the cubes, discarding the marinade. Thread the beef onto bamboo skewers, leaving the bottom half of each skewer bare for a handle and 1/4 inch exposed at the pointed end. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
Heat the grill to high. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the satays on the hot grate, with the aluminum foil shield under the exposed ends of the skewers to keep them from burning. Grill until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium rare.
The traditional way to eat the satays is to skewer a piece of cucumber on the pointed end, then dip the satay in peanut sauce.
Per serving: 260 calories (49 percent from fat), 14g fat (3g saturated, 6.9g monounsaturated), 70mg cholesterol, 24.6g protein, 8.2g carbohydrates, 0.3g fiber, 761mg sodium.
