Beef Satay with Caribbean Jerk Sauce
 

16 4-inch-long bamboo skewers

1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat


Jerk sauce

4 whole green onions, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh  ginger

3 fresh serrano chiles, very finely minced (including seeds)

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup cooking oil

2 tablespoons thin soy sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

 

Advance preparation


Cover the skewers with hot water and soak for 1 to 24 hours. Trim all fat from the meat. Cut the meat crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices in half; there should be approximately 16 pieces.


Preheat a gas grill to 350°F. or preheat the oven to 450°F. Grill the green onions until lightly charred, about 4 minutes; or once the oven is preheated, turn the oven setting to broil, place the green onions 4 inches from the broiler heat, and cook on both sides until charred, about 2 minutes. Let the green onions cool to room temperature, then chop.


In a small mixing bowl, combine the green onions with the remaining Jerk Sauce ingredients. Mix well.


Thread one piece of meat onto the end of each skewer. Rub the meat with marinade and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.


Last-minute cooking


If using a gas barbecue or indoor grill, preheat to medium (350°F.). If using charcoal or wood, prepare a fire. When the gas barbecue or indoor grill is preheated or the coals or wood are ash-covered, brush the grill with oil, then grill the meat about 2 minutes on each side until it is still a little rare in the center. If broiling the meat, position the broiler rack as close to the heat source as possible, then preheat the oven to 550°F. When the oven is preheated, turn the setting to broil. Lay the skewers on a baking sheet and cover the bamboo ends with foil. Then broil the meat about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve at once.


 

From “Fusion Food Cookbook” by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sanderson

Daniel’s comments: These can be assembled ahead of time, put into the marinade, and then frozen. They are cooked very fast and taste great.
From the cookbook: “Skewers of meat or seafood, known as "satays" in Indonesia, are found worldwide. The preparation is done hours in advance, and the last- minute cooking takes only a few minutes. In this recipe, the satay technique is combined with a uniquely Jamaican barbecue sauce called "jerk." The word "jerk" refers to the flavoring mixture of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and fresh chiles, which in Jamaica is rubbed on meat that is then cooked over green all- spice branches. While Jamaicans usually use pork for their jerk, leg of lamb, beef tenderloin, and chicken thigh meat all work well, as do large shrimp that have been split open but left unshelled. Whatever the choice, for a dramatic presentation, gather the cooked skewers, meat end down, cross them into a tepee shape, and position them upright on a round plate.”