Satay or sate could be considered the national dish of Indonesia, found everywhere from the humblest street stall to an upmarket restaurant to the most elegant of celebrations. Satay is basically skewered meat, fish, poultry, or even tofu. Traditionally the skewers themselves were made from the center of palm fronds, but most people nowadays use bamboo skewers, which need to soak before they are put on the fire. I love watching satay street vendors in Indonesia ply their trade. Some will set up shop right outside their homes. Others will wheel carts filled with half-cooked skewers and at the front of the cart they will have a charcoal fire on which they will finish cooking the skewers to give them to you piping hot, served on a leaf, either already dipped in a sauce kept hot in a pot on the side or with sauce on the side for you to dip your skewers into. Those sellers who have access to electricity will use a fan to keep their fires going, while others will use a fan woven from palm leaves. The dipping sauce for these meat skewers is made with peanuts.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• About 1 cup (5 ounces/150 g) raw peanuts
• 2 shallots (2 ounces/60 g), finely chopped
• 1 fresh chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
• 1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Sea salt
• Juice of 1 lime

FOR THE MEAT:

• 1 pound 10 ounces (750 g) tender boneless beef or lamb, cut into smallish cubes or sliced into strips ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak 16 medium bamboo skewers for 30 minutes in cold water.
2. To make the sauce: Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) oil into a deep skillet and heat over medium heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Add the peanuts and deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a sieve to drain off any excess oil. Let cool, then grind finely in a mortar or a food processor.
3. Drain off most of the oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Add the shallots and chili and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic. Fry for 1 minute more before adding the tomato, soy sauce, and the ground peanuts. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water and salt to taste and let bubble gently for 10 minutes. Add the lime juice. Take off the heat and let cool.
4. Prepare a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill or preheat the broiler to high.
5. To prepare the meat: Thread the cubes or strips of meat onto the bamboo skewers and grill or broil for 3 minutes on each side, or until the meat is done to your liking. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce.