Thai Beef Satay & Peanut Sauce

Beef Satay
1 pound of beef, tenderloin or skirt steak
coconut cream ¾ cup
lemongrass, chopped finely 1 ½ tbsp
galangal, peeled and chopped finely 1 tsp
shallot, chopped finely 1 tbsp
garlic, chopped 1 clove
whole cumin 1 tsp
whole coriander seeds 2 tsp
curry powder 1 tbsp
fish sauce 4 tbsp

1. Dry roast cumin and coriander seeds in a pan over moderate heat until fragrant, then add to a mortar.
2. Pound lemongrass, galangal, shallot, garlic, cumin and coriander together until they resemble a fine paste, add the curry powder and mix well.
3. Add the paste, coconut cream, and fish sauce and stir until well mixed.
4. Slice the beef into slices about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long.
5. Mix the meat and marinade together well, set aside to marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
6. Thread each piece of the meat into a skewer, then grill until just done. Do not over-cook the satays or they will be very dry.

Thai Peanut Sauce
Massaman curry paste 2 tbsp
Coconut milk 1 ½ cups
Peanut butter ¾ cup
Palm sugar, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste

1. Heat the coconut milk and massaman curry paste together until the coconut milk begin to break, forming a red oily layer on top, the add peanut butter, let the mixture cook for a while until thicken, adding more coconut milk if needed

2. Season with palm sugar and fish sauce, depending on what kind of peanut butter you use, this will vary a lot. Use your own taste, the flavor should be sweet, salty, with a little spicy edge at the end.