America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Beef Satay

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 2, 2013

Yield

Serves 12

Beef Satay

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter ¼ cup hot water 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime2 tablespoons sriracha 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves 2 scallions white and green parts, sliced thin

Beef Satay

1 ½ pounds flank steak ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste¼ cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)4 scallions, white & green parts, sliced thin1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce

Before You Begin

Meat that is partially frozen is easier to slice into thin strips. Sriracha is available in most supermarkets. A chili-garlic sauce, known as sambal, could also be used; however, it is much spicier. Use 6-inch-long skewers for this recipe; you'll need about 24.

Instructions

    for spicy peanut dipping sauce

  1. Whisk the peanut butter and hot water together in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer to a small serving bowl, and put aside to use after the beef has been placed on the skewers.
  2. Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise and freeze it for 30 minutes.
  3. Combine the soy sauce, oil, sriracha, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and scallions in a measuring cup; set aside. Remove the flank steak from the freezer and slice each piece across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Weave the meat onto individual bamboo skewers. Dunk the meat end of each skewer in the marinade to coat; lay the skewers in a shallow dish, propping up the exposed ends of the skewers to keep them clean. Pour the remaining marinade over the meat. Refrigerate for exactly 1 hour.
  4. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Lay the skewers on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and cover the skewer ends with foil. Broil for 6 to 7 minutes, flipping the skewers over halfway through, until the meat is browned. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce.

Beef Satay

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Yield

Serves 12

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup hot water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions white and green parts, sliced thin

Beef Satay

1 ½ pounds flank steak
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4 scallions, white & green parts, sliced thin
1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup hot water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions white and green parts, sliced thin

Beef Satay

1 ½ pounds flank steak
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4 scallions, white & green parts, sliced thin
1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup hot water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions white and green parts, sliced thin

Beef Satay

1 ½ pounds flank steak
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4 scallions, white & green parts, sliced thin
1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce

Why This Recipe Works

Believed to have originated in Indonesia, satay is now a popular street food throughout Southeast Asia. We wanted tender meat that could easily be pulled apart into small bites right off the skewer, with fresh flavors like garlic, chiles, and cilantro. Choosing the right cut of meat proved to be more about texture than flavor. Flank steak was the winner. We used two special techniques to slice it, first freezing the meat to firm it up enough to slice cleanly, and then cutting the beef across the grain to keep it tender. Since the meat is so thin, cooking it was a breeze. Placing the skewered meat on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and cooking it 6 inches from the heating element proved just right. We found our marinade ingredients in the supermarket and added generous amounts of cilantro and garlic.

Before You Begin

Meat that is partially frozen is easier to slice into thin strips. Sriracha is available in most supermarkets. A chili-garlic sauce, known as sambal, could also be used; however, it is much spicier. Use 6-inch-long skewers for this recipe; you'll need about 24.

Instructions

    for spicy peanut dipping sauce

  1. Whisk the peanut butter and hot water together in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer to a small serving bowl, and put aside to use after the beef has been placed on the skewers.
  2. Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise and freeze it for 30 minutes.
  3. Combine the soy sauce, oil, sriracha, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and scallions in a measuring cup; set aside. Remove the flank steak from the freezer and slice each piece across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Weave the meat onto individual bamboo skewers. Dunk the meat end of each skewer in the marinade to coat; lay the skewers in a shallow dish, propping up the exposed ends of the skewers to keep them clean. Pour the remaining marinade over the meat. Refrigerate for exactly 1 hour.
  4. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Lay the skewers on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and cover the skewer ends with foil. Broil for 6 to 7 minutes, flipping the skewers over halfway through, until the meat is browned. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.