Satay, a sizzling little bite of Thailand

It’s May, the weather is hot and I’m ready to barbecue. But I have little skewers on my mind, not burgers or sausages or ribs.

I became a fan of satay long before ever visiting Southeast Asia. Some years ago, there was a popular Thai restaurant in Berkeley, California, that served satay. The place was delightfully dark and funky, a sort of repurposed dive bar that had seen better days, with a giant tropical fish tank and a sunken fireplace.

The food was terrific. We’d have a few rounds of satay skewers as appetisers before moving on to more substantial and much spicier fare.

Indeed, it was there I learned the rudiments of Thai cuisine — from a diner’s point of view, that is. Traditional green papaya salad, pad Thai, larb, fiery red curries and shellfish stews were mainstays of the menu. But we always began with satay.

It is nothing more than thinly sliced meat on a skewer. But the marinade — a rich and flavourful one, with ginger, coconut milk and spices — is the key to good satay.

For accompaniments, Thai-style satay is nearly always served with a zesty peanut dipping sauce and a spoonful of refreshing cucumber relish. Satay is versatile; it can be a savoury snack with drinks, or served with steamed rice for a light meal.

Need I say you don’t have to go to a restaurant to get it? Satay at home is eminently doable; slice the meat, marinate it, grill. You can do the prep work hours ahead, even a day in advance, so the cooking is easy. A giant grill is not necessary — a small hibachi-type, storebought or makeshift, is the way to go. (For that matter, a stovetop grill or broiler is fine, too.)

Take care when cutting the meat. You want thin rectangular slices, which, when threaded onto skewers, lie flat. This allows the satay to cook quickly, j ust a few minutes per side. It is especially important if using very lean meat like pork loin; thicker pieces would simply dry out before they were done. I prefer to use pork cuts that have some marbling, like shoulder.

Satay is by no means purely Thai; it is popular throughout neighbouring Indonesia. But if you ever find yourself in Bangkok, where it can be 30C and steamy at midnight, a cold beer and satay skewers straight from little charcoal grills can be found on any corner, a great boon for a weary traveller.