Singaporean Venison Satay

I was watching BBQ master Steven Reichlen on TV one day, and he gave me this great idea! Why not make venison satay? According to the wisdom of Wikipedia, satay (or sate) originated in Java, Indonesia, but is popular in other Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand. It's basically skewered meat that's grilled and served with a sauce. This is an excellent dish for an appetizer or a main course. Dipped in a savory peanut sauce and topped with crunchy cucumber relish, the flavors will explode in your mouth. This was an awesome meal! We hope you will all give it a try.

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 3 1/2 hours

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. venison loin

Marinade

- 2 tbs. light brown sugar

- 1 tbs. ground coriander

- 1 tbs. ground turmeric 

- 1 tsp. ground cumin

- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

- 1 tbs. fish sauce

- 2 tbs. vegetable oil

Singapore Cucumber Relish

- 2 Persian cucumbers (or 1 regular cucumber)

- 1 small shallot

- 1 small birds eye chili pepper, seeded and minced (or red pepper flakes), or to taste

- 2 tbs. rice vinegar

- 1 tbs. sugar, plus more if needed

- kosher/sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Singapore Peanut Sauce

- 3 tbs. vegetable oil, divided

- 3 cloves of garlic, 1 minced and 2 thinly sliced

- 1 shallot, minced

- 1 strip of lemon zest, minced (or if you can get it, 1 stalk of lemongrass)
- 1/2 tablespoon of minced dried shrimp

- 1 to 2 small hot chiles, seeded and minced (or red pepper flakes)

- 1/2 cup of peanut butter

- 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

- 1 tbs. sugar

- 1 tbs. soy sauce

- juice of half a lime, or to taste

- 1 tbs. of cilantro, finely chopped

- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- bamboo skewers, soaked in water

- serve with white rice

I. Marinade

1. Remove all fat and silver skin from venison loin. This is the money cut.

Cut across into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

2. In a medium bowl, combine venison with all marinade ingredients. Mix well. Marinate for at least 3 hours. Store in the fridge. During the last hour, take out of the fridge so the meat can come to room temperature. 

II. Peanut Sauce

1. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of coconut milk, 2 tbs. sugar, 2 tbs. soy sauce, lime juice and 3/4 cup of water. Set aside. 

We've only seen coconut milk sold in cans, so don't go looking in the dairy section. You will most likely find it in the international section of your grocery store.

2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbs. minced garlic, 1 minced shallot, minced lemon zest (or lemongrass), minced chiles and minced dried shrimp. 

This is what dried shrimp looks like. It comes in those little Mexican spice packets found at most American grocery stores. 

3. Over medium high heat, heat 2 tbs. vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan. Fry the dry ingredients (shallot, garlic, etc.) until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. 

4. Then add the wet ingredients (peanut butter, coconut milk, etc.). Lower heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until thickened. It should be like the consistency of a thick gravy. Do not turn it into paste. 

Once thickened, stir in freshly chopped cilantro. Remove from heat.  

5. In a small saucepan, heat remaining 3 tbs. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry sliced garlic until just beginning to turn brown. As you can see, we went a little too far. Be careful not to burn because it will make your sauce bitter. Drain on paper towels.

Mix fried garlic into peanut sauce just before serving.

III. Cucumber Relish

We decided to use Persian cucumbers, because they are extra crunchy and perfect for salads. If you can't find them, regular cucumbers will do. 

1. Cut cucumbers lengthwise. Remove seeds by scraping with a spoon. 

Then cut into small cubes. 

2. Move to a bowl and toss in 1 minced shallot, minced hot red chile (or red pepper flakes), 2 tbs. of rice vinegar, 1 tbs. sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste. 

If it's too tart, add more sugar. Allow the relish to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Grill Time!

1.  Prepare grill to high heat for direct grilling.

Once marinated venison comes to room temperature, thread pieces on wooden skewers. 

2. Grill about 1 minute each side for medium-rare. A little longer for medium.

DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Warm up peanut sauce before serving. 

You can eat these alone as appetizers or  serve with white rice for a full meal. 

Mmmm... make it now!