Oma’s Pork Satay

Name: Oma’s Pork Satay (Sate Babi Oma)
Yield: Makes 6–8 servings as a snack or appetizer
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 8 candlenuts or unsalted macadamias; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds or ground coriander; 6 Asian shallots or 3 European shallots, chopped (3 oz); 2 lb (1 kg) pork shoulder or a mix of shoulder and belly; 3 tablespoons kecap manis; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised; 5 makrut lime leaves; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 3 (½-inch/12-mm) slices galangal; 2 medium-hot finger-length red chilies, such as Fresno, serrano, or cayenne, seeded (optional) and chopped; 2 teaspoons ground turmeric; ⅔ cup (120 g) shaved palm sugar or brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; About 30 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Sate Babi Oma

Preparation info

Makes
6–8
servings as a snack or appetizer

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

Julia’s five grandsons love their Oma’s sate babi. At barbecues, the boys can be seen with a skewer—or two—in each hand. If you have a Korean-centric Asian market nearby, do as Julia does and buy the pork bulgogi cuts (very thin slices of shoulder or belly), which saves you the trouble of slicing the meat. This satay isn’t usually served with a sauce, but you may dip it into Sambal Kecap or S