Minced Beef Satay
Although Indonesia’s 17,000-plus islands are home to the largest Muslim population in the world, Bali is where its Hindu minority resides, so pork is permitted.
Indonesian cuisine uses many of the exotic and wonderful ingredients that we in the West can now find in our Asian markets: lemongrass, lime leaves, chilis of many varieties, coconut, soy sauce, peanuts, ginger, turmeric, tamarind, cardamom, basil and garlic, to name just a few. The islands grow the staple rice, vegetables, bananas, and other tropical fruit including coconut. They also provide goat, lamb, beef, duck and pork. Being islands, they naturally have access to great fish and crustaceans. Indonesia’s varied cuisine has been influenced by the Chinese, Indians, Dutch and British over many centuries.
The Dutch-influenced rijsttafel, or rice table, is an elaborate Asian-style buffet where rice is the platform for many other little dishes and tastes. This Balinese specialty I’ve selected to share with you is typical of one of the varied dishes you’d find on a rijsttafel menu.
Yield: 24 pieces. Serves 12 as part of an hors d’oeuvre or rijsttafel menu with other items.
Ingredients:
1 cup finely minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon very finely minced soft inside stem of lemongrass
1 kaffir lime leaf finely shredded and minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 – 2 bird’s eye chilies or 1 jalapeno finely minced, seeds and ribs kept separately
½ pound not lean, freshly ground ‘burger’ beef from your butcher
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 wooden skewers 6” long
Directions:
- Combine all the ingredients except the chili seeds and ribs in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix well.
- To test for flavor balance, place a teaspoonful in a small heated sauté pan and cook on both sides till done.
- Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and additional seeds and ribs if desired.
- Using a tablespoon sized ice cream scoop or measuring spoon, measure out mixture till bowl is empty.
- Wetting your hands lightly with cold water, form the meat into bullet shaped patties.
- Skewer the patties.
- Place the patties on a sheet tray lined with tin foil in neat rows.
- Cover the skewers – not the meat – with a narrow ‘blanket’ of foil to prevent the skewers from burning.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven until cooked through – about 4 – 6 minutes for medium.
