Satay is a way of life in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia. From small roadside stalls to fancy restaurants, there is always an array of satay to choose from, with a flavour to suit every palate.
This is a tremendous recipe that pops with flavour. The sauces and juices perfectly marinate the meat, making it moist and soft. The flavours are mild but beautiful. Cooking on sugarcane sticks is lovely, with the added benefit that you get to chew on the sweet stick after the meat. This satay is about subtlety, the soy-balsamic giving the final pop to the dish. I will definitely be making this dish again and again.
Renowned master chef Helene An of Crustacean Beverly Hills and the An Family restaurant dynasty share the delicious dishes that got her inducted into the Smithsonian Institute for her culinary contributions to America and the incredible stories behind them.
Along with her favourite recipes (which brilliantly marry traditional Vietnamese fare with French and farm-fresh Californian fare), An chronicles her personal transformation from pampered "princess" in French Colonial Vietnam to refugee to restaurateur. It's a fascinating peek at a lost world. From Indochina's lush fields to family kitchen gardens in California, An tells of her harrowing journey and how it has influenced her cuisine.
For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
1 lb ground beef or mutton with 20% fat
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
2/3 cup mushrooms, portobello, shiitake or trumpet, finely diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons satay sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoons oil
6 shallots, sliced
10 garlic cloves, sliced
Sugarcane sticks, about 4 inches in length
For the balsamic-soy glaze:
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
To make the meatballs:
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and fry on a low flame until golden, about 3 minutes. Scrape them into a bowl. Add the garlic into the same pan and fry for 3 minutes until golden. Scrape them with the oil into the pan.
Add the rest of the meatball ingredients to the same bowl and mix well with your hands, incorporating the sauces well.
As a taster, make a teaspoon-sized meatball and fry it in a pan until browned. Let it cool, then taste for salt and a mild sweetness. Adjust the spices and salt as needed.
Press about 2 tablespoons of the meat mix onto a sugarcane stick in a long kebab format. Repeat with the rest of the meat until it is finished. Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve the meat.
For the balsamic-soy glaze:
Heat the oil in a small pot and add the ginger and garlic. Fry on low heat for 1 minute until the ginger no longer smells raw. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until you have a bubbly, thick syrup. Cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Heat the oven on broil mode with a rack about 10 inches from the broiler.
Broil the meatballs for 6-7 minutes until they are well browned on top.
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