Satay Seasoning

Satay Seasoning (pronounced “sah-tay "), is also called sate seasoning, satay powder, or sate spice.

Satay, or Sate in Indonesian and Malay spelling, stems from the Tamil word for flesh, “catai” which translates to “roasted meat”.
 

What Is Sate Seasoning

Satay is a dish of marinated, skewered, grilled meat, served with a spicy sauce and is considered the national dish of Indonesia and can be found in both the finest restaurants and from local street carts. While it is generally thought of as a particular dish, Satay can also refer to the style of cooking. The skewers were originally made from coconut palm fronds but today you may find skewers made from bamboo or metal. The seasoning is used in marinating the meat which is then threaded onto skewers and grilled over a wood or charcoal fire.
 

The History of Indonesian Cuisine

Geographically, Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world with 17,508 islands. Its tropical climate and high humidity support a rich and unique blend of diverse natural resources including beaches, tropical forests, volcanoes, and wildlife.

The Maluku Islands, or the Moluccas, are a group of islands in eastern Indonesia and were known as the Spice Islands because of the cloves, nutmeg, and mace that were exclusively found there. It is likely that black pepper, coriander, lemongrass, tamarind, turmeric, and shallot were introduced to Indonesia from India (who traveled to Indonesia as early as 660 BC). While garlic, ginger, and scallions were introduced from China who traded with Indonesia as early as the Western Han period (206 BC to 24 AD). Because these spices from mainland Asia were introduced so long ago, they have become integral, naturalized ingredients in Indonesian cuisine. The earliest Arabs to arrive in Indonesia were traders from Southern Arabia and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf. These Arab traders were instrumental in introducing the spices of Indonesia to Europe as early as the 8th century.

The earliest known culinary phase of the region occurred during the periods of the great Indonesian Kingdoms from the Hindu Kutai Martadipura Kingdom in Kalimantan (Borneo) in 400 AD (and possibly earlier) to the Islamic Banten Kingdom in West Java (1156–1580 AD). During this period, the most popular dishes were wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, with the main ingredients being cassava and rice.

The most significant culinary phase was shaped by the influence of successive waves of traders from Europe beginning in the sixteenth century. European traders came to Indonesia seeking to control the trade of the region's precious spices with the Portuguese arriving first in 1512 and they were followed by the Spanish, the British, and finally, the Dutch who colonized the archipelago and controlled it for more than 300 years (1627 to 1942).

Colonialism leads to cultural assimilation in heavily influencing different ways of preparing, cooking, presenting, and consuming the food between the native people, colonizers, and early traders. In Indonesian culinary history, the Indian influences can be seen mostly in Sumatran cuisine featuring curried meat and vegetables in which herbs such as cloves and nutmeg are used following Indian cooking traditions. The Chinese introduced wheat noodle dishes, spring rolls, and stir frying. The Arabs influenced Indonesian food with the Satay cooking method of grilling pieces of meat (originally lamb or goat) on skewers. Marinades and peanut sauce, which are so closely associated with Satay, originated from Java. The Portuguese introduced chile peppers to Indonesia, which became one of the key signature characteristics of Indonesian food.

The basic ingredients of Indonesian cuisine includes a range of spices and herbs with the most common being black pepper, chile peppers, cloves, coriander, cumin, galangal, garlic, ginger, onions, lemon basil, lemongrass, mace, nutmeg, and turmeric. Used either fresh or dried, and then chopped, grated, or crushed, these spices, together with other fresh ingredients, play a key part in seasoning various dishes. For the Satay style of cooking, the meat is cut into bite-sized pieces, then marinated in a spice-and-herb paste called a “bumbu” before being skewed and grilled.

Murdijati Gardjito, a professor in food technology and science at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, has conducted extensive research on Satay and found that Indonesia has more than 250 Satay varieties. Yogyakarta (the Indonesian royal city on the island of Java) is the region where the most Satay varieties are found — 21. It is followed by Semarang (located in north central Java) with 12 and Pekalongan (60 miles west of Semarang) and Bali (the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands) with 11 each.

In terms of ingredients used in the preparation of Satay professor Gardjito’s research shows that meat is still the most popular, with beef ranked first followed by chicken and lamb. Peanut sauce was the top choice among the sauces, while the most popular complementary condiments are sweet soybean sauce, sliced fresh onion, chile peppers, tomato, and fried onion.
 

What Does Satay Seasoning Taste Like

Earthy with citrus notes and a smoky back of the throat mild heat.
 

How Do You Use Satay Seasoning

Our Satay seasoning blend recipe was given to us by one of our favorite chefs who specializes in Indonesian cuisine. This spice blend can be used to season the meat for your Satay or it can be used to make the paste/ marinade.

The meat of choice for Satay was originally lamb or goat but today the most popular meats are beef, chicken, and lamb. Given that 87% of the Indonesian population is Muslim, pork is not used in traditional Satay style cooking. Satay is often marinated in a “bumbu” before cooking.

Bumbu may be a complex marinade or paste of spices and herbs or, it may be as simple as a mixture of fresh garlic, lime juice, and kecap manis (a sweet black ketchup that tastes almost like a mix of soy sauce and oyster sauce mixed with sugar). Traditionally, this bumbu mixture of spices and other aromatic ingredients is freshly ground into a moist paste using a mortar and pestle. We've also made a Chicken Satay in our test kitchen using olive oil as the liquid in making our bumbu. Marinating time is up to you. Some prefer 30 minutes or so while others overnight.

Acidic ingredients like lime juice and tamarind will tenderize proteins in the short term, but they can also turn meats mushy if left to marinate for too long. In the case of Satay, we like to think of the marinade as more like a savory coating; the smaller you cut your Satay proteins, the more surface area will be coated and the more flavor you will get.

Skewering and grilling the meat in these small pieces ensures that it cooks evenly and quickly and prevents the meat from becoming tough. Satay is typically served with a grainy peanut dipping sauce and a fresh cucumber salad.

 

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