My favorite Thai restaurant serves an amazing pork satay with a creamy, slightly exotic sauce. These piquant brochettes are inspired by that satay. The recipe calls for pork, but you can substitute chicken, turkey, lamb or beef. Satay is a popular dish in Indonesia, Malayasia and Thailand. You’ll also find it on menus in Holland where the famous Indonesian ristafel meal is served. This flavorful brochette is equally in place on the street sold by vendors, at the family table or at a celebration. I think of this as a cousin to a shish kebab or yakatori. Cubes or thin slices of meat are marinated, threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal. Often you’ll find bright yellow turmeric in the marinade, which gives it color. You can add a half-teaspoon of turmeric to the marinade below if you like. It is usually served with a peanut sauce that brings all the flavors together. This adaptation combines an herb and citrus marinade with a coconut-ginger-flavored peanut sauce. While I usually serve satay as a first course, I have been known to double this recipe to create a main course, served with rice and a vegetable side dish. You can have these marinated and ready to be grilled at the last minute, or grill them ahead and serve them chilled. Either way, they are a great beginning to any summertime get-together. It’s best to grill these on a charcoal fire for maximum flavor. Serve these with an ice-cold beer or a rose wine.

Grilled Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce • 1 pound tenderloin of pork cut into 1-inch pieces or thinly sliced horizontally while partially frozen For the marinade : • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano • 1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro • 1/2 teaspoon cumin • 2 tablespoons oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the sauce : • 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter • 3/4 cup coconut milk • 2 teaspoons minced ginger • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tablespoon honey Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons. Whisk until blended. Skewer the pork and arrange in a shallow non-aluminum dish. Pour the marinade over and marinate for 6 to 12 hours. (If using bamboo skewers, first immerse them in cold water to soak for at least 1 hour. This will prevent them from burning when grilled.) To make the sauce : In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk. Taste for seasoning. Reserve. Prepare the barbecue for medium-heat grilling. Grill the pork about 3 inches from the flame, brushing with the reserved marinade, for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until the pork is just cooked through. Arrange the skewers on a large plate. Serve with the peanut sauce. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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