Pok Pok Pork Satay Recipe (Muu Sateh)

A Thai Recipe from Chef Andy Ricker's New Pok Pok Cookbook, Part 1 of 3

Chef Andy Ricker has kindly shared his recipe for making Thai-style Pork Satay from his new Pok Pok Cookbook.

This is the first part of the Pok Pok recipe for Muu Sateh so be sure to check out parts 2 and 3 for more recipes to accompany this dish: Peanut Sauce (Naam Jim Sateh) & Cucumber Relish (Ajaat).

Let us do all the shopping for you! We've worked with Chef Ricker to create a kit with the essential ingredients you'll need for making this Muu Sateh recipe.

Pok Pok Thai Pork Satay, (Muu Sateh)
(Click to enlarge)

The Plan:

• Up to 1 week in advance: Make the peanut sauce
• Up to 1 day in advance: Make the cucumber relish and skewer the pork (directions below)
• 1 hour before: Marinate the pork (directions below)

Pok Pok Thai Pork Satay Recipe (Muu Sateh)

Special Cooking Equipment

• 36 bamboo wood skewers (8 inches or so each), soaked in tepid water for 30 minutes
• A Thai granite mortar and pestle
• A charcoal grill (highly recommended), grates oiled

Meat for Satay

• 1 (6-ounce) piece pork back fat (highly recommended but optional)
• 2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into strips approx. 3" long, 1" wide and 1/4 " thick

Marinade for Satay

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• Very small pinch cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning the skewers
• 14 grams thinly sliced lemongrass (tender parts only), from about 2 large stalks
• 1 (14-gram) piece peeled fresh or frozen (not defrosted) galangal, thinly sliced against grain
• 1 (14-gram) piece peeled fresh or frozen (not defrosted) yellow turmeric root, thinly sliced against grain
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, preferably Black & White or Longevity brand
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (preferably boxed)

To Serve Alongside

• About 1 1/2 cups Naam Jim Sateh (Peanut Sauce) (follow link to recipe)
• About 1 1/2 cups Ajaat (Cucumber Relish), (follow link to recipe)
• About 6 thick slices Pullman or other thick-cut white bread, lightly grilled or toasted, then quartered

Make the Skewers

1. Put the fat in a small pot, add just enough water to cover, and set the pot over high heat. Bring the water to a rolling simmer, decrease the heat to maintain it, and cook until the opaque white fat has turned slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat, discarding the water, and cut it into approximately 3/4-inch squares that are about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Skewer one fat cube per skewer (discard any extras), pushing the cubes down to about 4 inches from the tip. Weave one skewer through the center of each strip of pork, exiting and entering several times, so the strip is fixed firmly to it and ends just below the tip of the skewer.

Make the Marinade

1. Combine the coriander and cumin in a small pan, set the pan over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring and tossing often, until the spices are very fragrant and the coriander seeds turn a shade or two darker, about 8 minutes. Let the spices cool slightly and pound them in a granite mortar (or grind them in a spice grinder) to a coarse powder.
2. Combine the spice powder, condensed milk, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, sugar, salt, pepper, and all but a few tablespoons of the coconut milk in a blender. Blend until smooth, then pour the marinade into a container, preferably a deep, narrow one. Swish the remaining coconut milk in the blender and pour it into the container.

Marinate the Pork

1. Add the skewers to the container with the marinade so that the meat (not necessarily the fat) is submerged in the marinade. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour while you prepare the grill.

Cook the Pork

1. Prepare a grill, preferably charcoal, to cook over medium-high to high heat. Or preheat a lightly oiled, large flat griddle over medium-high heat. Remove the skewers from the marinade, letting any excess drip back into the container. Season both sides of the pork with salt and cook in batches, if necessary, turning the skewers over once and moving them around to contain flare-ups, until the pork is just cooked through and the outsides are as charred as you like them, 3 to 6 minutes total.

TO SERVE: Serve them right away (or cover loosely with foil for up to 15 minutes after grilling) alongside the peanut sauce, cucumber relish, and bread. Serves 4.

Next see: Thai Peanut Sauce (Naam Jim Sateh) and Cucumber Salad (Ajaat) to follow the other parts of this Pok Pok recipe.

Image of Andy Ricker By Takeaway (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Pok Pok: Food & Stories from the Streets, Homes, & Roadside Restaurants of Thailand

The Pok Pok Cookbook is available at Portland's finest independent bookstore, Powell's Books and wherever books are sold. Pre-order now, shipping after October 29, 2013. Order 2 copies for free shipping from Powell's, see their site for details!

Authors: Andy Ricker with JJ Goode

Recipe & Image Copyright © 2013 Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand; Images and Recipes are used with permission; published by Ten Speed Press; ISBN 9781607742883