Thai Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

Recently, I've been getting together on a regular basis with several friends for theme nights. I think it is a marvelous way to branch out into other cuisines. Here is a recipe that I picked out of a Gordon Ramsay book that I got as a birthday gift. While the recipe used pork, I decided to try it out with beef and I was pretty happy with the results. There will definitely be more blog entries to come with recipes that I have pulled out of this book. I have been impressed so far by the recipes I have tried. Thanks again Mo for the great book!

adapted from Gordon Ramsay's "World Kitchen"
INGREDIENTS:

Beef Satays:
2 lbs Beef (cut in cubes)
1 can Coconut Milk
3 inch piece Ginger (grated)
2 stalks of fresh Lemongrass (white parts minced, or use 2 tbsp. of already minced Lemongrass)
2 tsp. Turmeric
4 tsp. Coriander
4 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
3 tsp. Sugar

Peanut Sauce:
2/3 cup Roasted Peanuts (unsalted)
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
4 tbsp. Red Curry Paste
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Tamarind Paste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix all of the beef satay ingredients together and toss to coat well. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Soak approximately 25 bamboo skewers in water to preven scorching during the cooking process.

Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until very fine, then pour into a bowl.

In a saucepan, heat up the coconut milk, then add the curry paste and cook until fragrant.

Add the peanuts, salt, sugar, tamarind paste, stirring frequently. Allow to simmer until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too think, you can add a bit of hot water. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.

Thread the marinated beef onto the presoaked bamboo skewers.

Heat up the barbecue, or griddle pan and add a bit of oil. Cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Serve hot with the peanut sauce for dipping.