Banjar Satay — South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Banjar Satay is a skewered meat dish associated with the Banjar people of South Kalimantan, on the Indonesian side of Borneo. Cubes of meat, most often beef, are threaded onto skewers, grilled over charcoal, and served with a thick, spiced sauce built on ground peanuts and sweet soy sauce, typically alongside ketupat, rice steamed in woven palm-leaf pouches. It is reported from Banjarmasin and the surrounding South Kalimantan region, where satay stalls set up along streets and markets in the evening, grilling skewers to order over open charcoal and fanning the coals by hand. It sits within Indonesia's much broader family of regional satays, each area favoring its own marinade, meat and sauce. To prepare it, meat is cut into cubes and marinated in a paste of ground spices, sweet soy sauce and a little oil before being threaded onto skewers. The skewers are grilled over hot charcoal, turned frequently and brushed with more marinade, until the meat chars slightly at the edges while staying tender inside. The sauce is made separately by grinding roasted peanuts with garlic, chili and palm sugar, then loosening it with water or coconut milk into a thick, pourable consistency. Cooks vary the fat content of the meat, some favoring cuts with a little marbling for richer skewers, and the sauce ranges from mildly sweet to distinctly spicy depending on the amount of chili used. Ketupat is the customary accompaniment, though plain steamed rice is also common, and a scattering of fried shallots or a squeeze of lime often finishes the plate.