Sate Matang (Cooked Beef Satay)

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 9

Pour in 0.75 cup peanut butter, stirring with a wooden spoon until no lumps remain and the mixture looks smooth.

Step 10

Slowly pour in 0.75 cup coconut milk while stirring continuously so the sauce blends evenly without separating.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 19

Place 2 lime wedges on the platter next to the skewers; diners squeeze lime juice over their portion before eating.