Pork Satay with Noodle salad and Peanut Sauce

Boneless, centre cut pork chops on a very hot day did not translate to something I really wanted to cook or eat. Cutting the chops into thin slices, using the last quarter cup of leftover dressing from the post Mango and Tamarind Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw as a marinade, and turning them into satay skewers was a much better option!

I made a simple noodle salad, using the remaining half bag of steam fried noodles, some vegetables and a simple dressing of kecap manis, lime juice, rice wine vinegar and oil. Last but not least, what is satay without peanut sauce?

The only things that were really used up were the dressing and noodles, but I did make good use of the bottle of kecap manis I had bought. Oh, and we have leftovers for lunch!

Cut the pork chops into slices as long and thin as you can.

I used:

3 centre cut boneless pork chops, just under 1lb.

Place the pork into a resealable plastic bag along with the marinade:

1/4 cup Asian dressing from the post

Mango and Tamarind Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw

Refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours. 

To make the salad combine the following in a large bowl:

4 ounces (raw weight) cooked, drained and cooled steam fried noodles

1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, grated

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

To make the dressing, whisk together:

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons kecap manis

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Add the dressing to the salad and mix to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.

To make the peanut sauce, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan:

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons sriracha

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons kecap manis

Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, until the peanut butter has melted and everything emulsifies. Remove from the heat if not using immediately, and reheat when needed, as the sauce will become thick very quickly.

While the barbecue heats, thread the pork onto skewers as shown. I put 4 thin pieces of pork on each skewer. 

 

Cook the pork skewers on a hot, oiled grill, turning often, until fully cooked.

This does not take long, as the meat is cut very thinly, so keep a close eye on it.

Serve the grilled skewers of pork on top of a portion of noodle salad, and drizzle with a bit of peanut sauce. Pass the remaining peanut sauce at the table; there is always someone who wants more!

• Try this using chicken breast or thinly sliced beef. If you have a hard time cutting very thin slices, cut the meat while it is still partially frozen. This makes it a lot easier to control the meat when cutting.
• I had previously made the Asian dressing from the post Mango and Tamarind Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw and had a bit leftover. You can use a purchased Asian dressing...something with garlic, ginger, sesame and maybe peanut butter.
• For the peanut sauce, I like to use crunchy peanut butter for the texture. Smooth is another option if that is all you have available.
• You can use chicken stock, for all of the liquid in the  sauce, or use it in combination with water or coconut milk. Coconut milk adds richness and a unique flavour to the sauce.
• Kecap manis is an Indonesian soy sauce, and is thicker and sweeter than other soy sauces. It has a palm sugar molasses added to it. If you don't have any, use regular soy, and adjust the sweetness to saltiness ration by taste, adding brown sugar or honey to achieve something you like.
• The dressing from the Mango and Tamarind Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw can be used to dress the noodles salad if you make a fresh batch and have enough. As I was using some up I made a simple dressing for my noodles.
• A salad like this is a great way to use extra cooked noodles or rice.
• Any vegetables can be used...cucumber, blanched broccoli, grean peas, edamamae beans, bean sprouts are some suggestions.
• The salad will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.
• Consider making extra meat slices and freezing them in the marinade to save time in the future.
• Toasted sesame seeds or chopped toasted peanuts would be a nice addition to the salad.