Satay Dipping Sauces

Thai Sweet Pepper Sauce

- 1 T. neutral vegetable oil, like canola or safflower
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 3/4 c rice vinegar
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper
- 1/8 t cayenne


Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook. Stir it constantly to prevent it from burning, until it turns yellow. Add the remaining ingredients and stir and cook, until the sauce boils and the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spatula. Take the sauce off the heat and let it cool. It will keep in the fridge for one month.

Peanut Sauce

- 1/2 t sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced. 2 T.
- 1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, outer layer and green parts removed, minced
- 1 T. ginger, minced
- 2 shallots
- 1 c coconut cream mixed with milk, the consistency of whole milk
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 3 T. brown sugar
- 3 T. creamy peanut butter
- 3 T. tamarind juice


And now you're wondering...tamarind juice? It turns out that at 99 Ranch you can buy this packet of stuff called "Tamarind Seedless". Like most things at 99 Ranch, I suspect that characters I can't read say about a thousand other things, too. In any case, it is on the dried vegetable aisle. So you buy this and pull of a big chunk of it. Pour boiling water over it and let it sit until the water cools down. Mush it up with a fork and then pour the liquid through a strainer. The liquid is tamarind juice, and the remaining pulp I threw away. For a full explanation of all this, read Su-Mei Yu's book Asian Grilling. She definitely treats the whole thing more carefully than I do, but that's why she owns a famous Thai restaurant and I just cook dinner.


Put into the blender: salt, garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and coconut cream mixture. Blend well.

Put the mixture into a saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until it begins to bubble, 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to let it curdle. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter, and stir. When the mixture begins to bubble, add the tamarind juice. Cook until it begins to bubble again. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a week.