Bali Pork Satay (Satay Bapi) – Culinary Seasons

This may be my favorite of any of the recipes in the Skewered Street Food Around the World series. It may be the combination of the classic Southeast Asian ingredients, or the fact that it is pork instead of beef or chicken or a combination of both. Or, it could be that I am a sucker for ginger, lemongrass, shallots and all the Southeast Asian ingredients. I suggest trying this recipe with chicken or beef, varying the meat will definitely change the overall skewer but the flavor ingredients will infuse into the meat and grilling over charcoal to give it the flame kissed char.

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Trade Routes and Explorers Helped Shape Cuisine

In the recipe post for Indonesian Beef Satay, it was explained that due to trade routes of Arab traders during the 1500s first introduced skewered meats or Kebabs cooked over open flame on their swords. The island of Java, where Arab traders first introduced satay to Indonesia, is now just a ferry trip across Selat Bali to Bali. The ingredients for satay throughout the 6000 inhabited Indonesian islands can vary greatly for satay and peanut sauce.

Not only has trade routes and explorers helped shape cuisine around the world but religion has had a say in cuisine as well. 90% of Indonesia practices Islam thus most of the islands in the nation do not eat pork. Where Bali differs, the majority Bali is Hindi, the only island that has majority Hindi and allowing them to eat pork. If you walk the streets of Bali you will find pork a popular protein for vendors.

Dipping Sauce and Pairings

Serve these delicious skewers with a peanut sauce, the Indonesian peanut sauce in the Indonesian Chicken Satay recipe Is a classic pairing. Cucumbers pickled in rice vinegar and sugar with shallots and Thai chilis gives a nice addition to the flavors of the skewers.

  • 1 – 1 1/2 Pork (shoulder, butt, sirloin)

  • 1 Tbl Ginger minced

  • 3 ea Garlic minced

  • 1 ea Shallot minced

  • 1 – 2 ea Thai Chili

  • 4″ Stalk of Lemongrass white part

  • 1 Tbl Palm Sugar

  • 1 ea Lime Zest & Juice

  • 1 tsp Coriander

  • 1 tsp Cumin

  • 1 Tbl Fish Sauce

  • 1/4 cup Sweet Soy (Kecap Manis)

  • 12 ea Bamboo Skewers

  • Oil for Grill Grates

  • Glaze for Basting

  • 1/4 cup Sweet Soy (Kecap Manis)

  • 2 Tbl Fish Sauce

  • Juice of 1 Lime

  • 2 ea Garlic Clove minced

  • 1 tsp Ginger finely minced

  • Preparing the Pork
  • Clean any unwanted fat from the pork. You want some fat marbling with the pork.
  • Cube the pork into 1″ – 1 1’2″ cubes
  • Making the Marinade
  • Mince the ginger & garlic.
  • Chop the shallot & Thai chili
  • Mince the lemongrass & zest the lime
  • Microplane or small sized grate the palm sugar
  • In a bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together.
    Combine ingredients thoroughly.
  • Add the pork to the marinade and mix well to distribute the marinade over the diced pork.
  • Marinate the pork for 3-10 hours.
  • Making the Glaze for Basting
  • Mince the ginger and garlic.
  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.Set aside until needed.
  • Skewering the Pork and Grilling
  • Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 1-3 hours.
  • Skewer 5-6 pieces of pork onto the top half of the bamboo skewer.
  • Preheat the grill and oil the grill grates before grilling.
  • Place a double thick piece of aluminum foil toward the front of the grill to block the heat from the bamboo skewers so they don’t burn.
  • Grill the skewers, turning every couple of minutes.
    Baste the glaze after each turn to allow the it to bake on.
  • Remove the pork from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 140°.
    While resting the pork, the temperature will rise about 5 additional degrees.
  • Serve pork immediately.

    Enjoy!