Satay is marinated thin strips of meat, skewered and grilled over wood or charcoal. Often associated with Thai food, satay’s real origin is Indonesia. Skewered meat or shish kabob was introduced to Indonesia by the Arabs around the 19th century. Its popularity spread from Indonesia into other neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Beef and chicken were mainly used for satay. Nowadays, one can use just about anything that can be marinated and threaded onto skewers. If chicken is unavailable, substitute with pork, shrimp, or tofu. Satay gets its nice yellow tint from tumeric. Common spices used to make satay are turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galanga, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. My recipe is Thai based satay infused with Indian spices.
The idea to serve chicken satay in a hotdog bun came from my friend Erik. While Erik was grilling the satay, I happened to glance over as he placed a hotdog bun on the grill and I blurted out, “You better put another bun on for me!” That’s how the chicken satay sandwich came about. I didn’t get a chance to garnish my sandwich because we were experimenting. Next time, I would add diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro and a squirt of Sriracha sauce. If satay is a dish you really like, then you’re not going to want to pass on trying this dish.
