Del-icious!: While the cat's away.....make Balinese pork and Thai sate

The cat in this instance is a friend's wife. Her husband, Dave, (he of the smoker night fame), left alone to partake in something he loves: smoking some meat and chicken (and also cigars), drinking copious amounts of alcohol and dancing to Roxy Music while reliving his youth through stories of dressing like Bryan Ferry and attempting to be half as cool.

Entertainment aside, Dave always produces some great nosh, usually from his trusty Vancouver BBQ book. Think Memphis smoked meats, potato salad, home style beans and a kickin' BBQ sauce which is fruity, spicy, smoky and full of ripe tomatoes. I always like to contribute, partly because it gives me a chance to practise my BBQ skills on his fancy propane beast, (which I will have soon) and partly to try out recipes from BBQ books I keep buying through a desire to own a garden or deck, (again, which I will have soon).

What started as 3 main dishes complete with sauces somehow got mixed up, so that the sauce intended for the chicken sate became the dipping sauce for the prawns, the Brazilian peanut sauce so lovingly created for the prawns became intended for the pork and chicken and then consequently forgotten about, (as did the tortillas for the pork) and the marinade for the prawns somehow also got waylaid too.

In the end it didn't matter. The tamarind dipping sauce (served with the prawns) was one of the most exciting things I've made for a while, perfectly exemplifying the delicate Thai balance of sweet, salty and sour. The Balinese pork, too, was luscious, not only providing an aroma and taste that instantly transported me back to that exotic island, but also kept the pork really moist and juicy.

Recipes

Balinese pork

Thai schoolyard sates

grilled prawns with tamarind dipping sauce

Brazilian peanut sauce

Recipe : Balinese pork

This was truly spectacular. Succulent, full of sweet, spicy and complex flavours and filled the kitchen with exotic, tropical smells

Adapted from The Barbecue Bible by Steve Raichlen

1 pork tenderloin

2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 chili pepper, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped or 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tbsp fresh galangal, peeled and roughly chopped

1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and finely chopped

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

juice of one lime

1/2 tbsp raw cane sugar

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Place all ingredients except the pork and oil into a mortar and pestle or food processor and pound to a pulp.

(This can be quite difficult and time consuming, but releases more flavour, so I got Neil to do the majority of the hard work, then finished it off in a blender).

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the spice paste when hot. Fry, stirring frequently, until the paste is fragrant and cooked slightly, (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Make several cuts into each side of the pork, (don't cut right through), and slather the spice paste all over the surface, ensuring it goes well into the cuts also. Place into a Ziploc bag or bowl and massage the paste all over. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as you can. (Cooking instructions will follow later)

Recipe : Brazilian peanut sauce

Adapted from The Barbecue Bible

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 bunch spring onions, (scallions), very finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 and 1/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

juice of 2 plump or 3 regular limes

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp chili powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the garlic, scallions, ginger and bell pepper and cook until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until they have begun to release some juice.

Stir in the coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer until thickened slightly, (about 10 minutes).

Stir in the chili powder and season well, tasting to adjust as necessary. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and puree to a smooth paste in a blender or processor. (This is optional and not specified in the recipe, but I preferred it). Served with the grilled prawns, pork or chicken, it works well with similar flavours of coconut, lime juice and cilantro.

Recipe : Tamarind dipping sauce

Adapted from The Barbecue Bible

As I mentioned earlier, this recipe should have accompanied the chicken sate, but I found it worked well with the prawns, the tangy, salty flavour helping to enhance the sweetness.

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced

1/2 chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp raw cane sugar

2 tsp tamarind concentrate

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic, shallots, ginger and chili pepper and cook until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, tamarind and sugar and stir well. Let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, adding a little water if it seems too thick or strong tasting. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before serving as a dip with the prawns, chicken or even pork.

Recipe : Thai schoolyard chicken sate

Adapted from The Barbecue Bible

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken together in a bowl and stir well. Cut the chicken into thin, long strips and place into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or longer. Cooking instructions to follow.

To cook the prawns: simply use your hands to press open the prawns in 1 package of jumbo, raw prawns, ensuring that the shell is completely open on one side. You basically want to open up the prawns like a book and place them, flesh side down, onto the barbecue grill over medium heat.

After about 5 minutes, the underside should be cooked. Turn them over onto their shell side and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or so until the shell is completely pink and opaque.

Serve them on a plate with a little lime juice squeezed over with the tamarind dipping sauce. Allow everyone to peel their own shrimp and dip into the tangy sauce.

To cook the chicken: Remove from the marinade and thread the long strips onto metal or wooden skewers, (be sure to soak the wooden for 30 minutes first) and grill over medium heat until white, charred and crispy on the edges.

To cook the pork: Remove from the marinade, wiping away any excess but allowing some to cling to the meat and barbecue over medium heat until cooked through, lightly browned and char grilled.

Slice the pork into thin slices and remove the chicken from the skewers and arrange on a serving platter for people to help themselves. Serve with the Brazilian peanut sauce, tamarind dipping sauce or both.