Whether you’re making beef satay or goat satay, it’s best to use fresh meat so that the results are tender and delicious. Some of the characteristics of fresh meat that you can pay attention to are the fresh red color, the aroma that is not rotten, and the texture that is moist but not slimy. By using high quality meat, you can ensure that the satay you make will have a tender texture and maximum taste.
2. Tenderizes the meat
To get a soft satay texture, there are several ways you can tenderize the meat before cooking. First, you can wrap the meat using papaya leaves that have been kneaded for an hour, because the papain enzyme in papaya leaves can soften the meat fibers effectively. Apart from that, beef or goat meat can also be tenderized using pineapple, but make sure the meat remains intact and not cut first; As an alternative, you can also use a meat tenderizer such as powdered papain, with a dose of one tablespoon to tenderize one kilogram of meat.
3. Choose the right type of satay skewer
There are several types of satay sticks that you can choose according to the type of meat you will use. Wide satay skewers are very suitable for making goat or beef satay, because they can hold larger and heavier pieces of meat. Meanwhile, small satay sticks are usually more suitable for making satay from seafood or chicken, because they penetrate softer and thinner meat more easily.
4. Season the Meat Properly
Before grilling, the satay should be seasoned first so that it tastes more delicious and the spices are absorbed perfectly. There are several ways to season satay meat, one of which is by soaking the meat in soy sauce before grilling or sautéing the meat first until the spices are absorbed, then grilling. Another way is to soak the meat in ground spices and soy sauce for several hours before the grilling process, so that the flavor of the spices really penetrates the meat.
5. Burning with Charcoal Embers
Even though there are many modern grills available, using charcoal is still a favorite choice for making delicious satay. Meat satay made using charcoal is considered to have a better taste compared to using a modern grill, because the distinctive aroma and taste of charcoal coals gives the satay an extra touch. The charcoal used can come from wood or coconut shells, both of which provide optimal burning results for your satay.
