Penang Pork Satay - FlavorBiscuit

Description

Prep the perfect pork skewers with Chef John's tangy, spicy, super-savory satay marinade featuring turmeric, ginger, shallots, and tamarind.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 inch piece turmeric root, peeled and sliced thinly across the grain

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, or to taste

• 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced

• 1 large shallot, roughly chopped

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled, or more to taste

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste

• 1/2 bunch lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems

• 1 (2 1/2 pound) pork shoulder roast

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 5 large metal skewers

Directions

1 Place fresh turmeric in a food processor along with powdered turmeric. Add ginger, shallot, garlic, brown sugar, ancho chili powder, coriander, chipotle, cayenne, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, tamarind paste, and cilantro. Blend into a fine paste.

2 Cut pork into 1 1/2-inch cubes, trimming off fat as needed. Place pork in a bowl; season with salt. Pour in the marinade. Mix and massage pork with your hands until completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 18 hours.

3 Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Thread pork through skewers so the pieces are touching but not squished together. Reserve leftover marinade.

4 Grill skewers, brushing on reserved marinade, until pork just starts to firm up but is still slightly pink in the center, about 10 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve immediately.