Beef Skewers with Satay Sauce

• 2 x 200g rib eye steaks
• 1 small cucumber
• ½ red onion
• Juice of half a lemon
• 10-15 bamboo skewers, soaked in water

• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lemongrass stalk

• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ red onion or 5 Thai shallots
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 200g roasted crushed peanuts
• 300ml water
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt to taste

• Using the back of your knife hit the steaks in order to flatten the meant and tenderize it. Once you have a thin steak of around ½ cm thick, cut it into strips and transfer it to a bowl.

• To make the marinade start by taking off the outer leaves of the lemongrass, bashing it flat and finely chopping it. Mix all the spices with the lemongrass, combine well. Season the meat making sure the spice mix covers all the meat strips. Cover the bowl with cling film and marinade for a minimum of one hour, ideally overnight.

• For the satay sauce, finely chop the ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Using a pestle and mortar mix the ginger, garlic and lemongrass with the rest of the spices, crush all the ingredients to form a rough paste.

• In wok on medium heat, start cooking your satay sauce paste and cook for a couple of minutes until the paste becomes fragrant and dries a little bit. Add approximately 100ml of water and mix well, add the peanuts next, continue cooking for an extra couple of minutes. Top up with water if the mix is getting too thick, add the tamarind paste, mix well and reduce the heat and simmer until it reaches a smooth, thick consistency. Set aside

• Build the skewers by taking one piece of beef and thread it along the skewer, repeat the process until you’ve used all the meat.

• Brush a griddle pan with vegetable oil and heat it to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the beef skewers, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, once they are fully cooked place them on a rack and let them rest for 1-2 minutes before serving.

• Make a quick salad with sliced cucumber, onions, coriander, lemon juice and salt.

• Serve the beef skewers with the satay sauce and salad on the side.