Sate Padang: Padang-Style Beef Tongue Satay

Method17 steps · about 2 hr 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut the beef tongue (1) into smaller pieces.

   Uses 1 beef tongue, around 750 g–1 kg

2. 2

   Step 2: Put the beef tongue in a cooking pot, and cover with water. Cook over medium high heat until the water boils, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Discard the water.

   Parboil tongue after water comes to a boil · 5 minUses cut raw beef tongue · Water as needed for first tongue parboil, discarded

3. 3

   Step 3: Take the meat from the pot, and when it is cool enough to handle, trim the outer tough skin using a sharp knife. Discard the skin.

   Uses briefly parboiled beef tongue

4. 4

   Step 4: Put the meat back into the cooking pot, cover it with fresh water, bring to a boil and cook it over medium high heat for 30 minutes.

   Boil tongue · 30 minUses skin-trimmed parboiled tongue · Fresh water as needed for second tongue boil

5. 5

   Step 5: When done, take out the meat to cool off, strain and reserve 0.5 liters of the broth.

   Uses second-boiled tongue and cooking broth

6. 6

   Step 6: Cut the meat into 3×3 cm cubes, set aside.

   Uses cooled second-boiled tongue

7. 7

   Step 7: Blend into a fine paste: garlic (5 cloves), shallots (8), chillies, ginger (2 cm), galangal (2 cm) and turmeric (4 cm).

   Uses 5 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped · 8 shallots, peeled, chopped · 6 curly red chillies (or 2 big red chillies), chopped · 2 cm ginger, peeled, chopped · 2 cm galangal, chopped · 4 cm turmeric, peeled, chopped

8. 8

   Step 8: Heat the cooking oil (3 tbsp) in a wok over medium high heat, and sautee the spice paste for 1 minute.

   Sauté tongue-satay spice paste · 1 minUses 3 tbsp cooking oil · Sate Padang spice paste

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the coriander powder (1 tbsp), curry powder (2 tbsp), nutmeg (1 tsp), white pepper powder (1 tsp), aniseed (1 tsp), cinnamon stick (5 cm), star anise (2), cardamom (4), cloves (4), lemongrass (2), salam leaves (2), turmeric leaf (1) and kaffir lime leaves (4). Saute until fragrant, around 4 minutes.

   Sauté tongue-satay whole spices and herbs · 4 minUses fried tongue-satay spice paste · 1 tbsp coriander powder · 2 tbsp curry powder · 1 tsp nutmeg · 1 tsp white pepper powder · 1 tsp aniseed · 5 cm cinnamon stick · 2 star anise

10. 10

    Step 10: Divide the fried spice mixture into two equal portions. Leave one half in the wok for the tongue and reserve the other half for the sauce.

    Uses fully seasoned tongue-satay spice mixture

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the beef cubes to the wok, add 0.5 liters water and salt to taste, and cook it for about 1 hour over medium heat until the meat is tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool off.

    Braise spiced tongue until tender and liquid evaporates · 60 minUses half the fried spice mixture for tongue · tongue cubes · 500 ml water for spiced tongue braising · Salt to taste in tongue braise

    
12. 12

    Step 12: While waiting for the meat to be done, put the remaining spice paste in a cooking pot, add the 0.5 liters of beef broth, tamarind extract (1 tsp) and salt to taste (to taste). Cook over medium heat for around 20 minutes.

    Simmer broth · 20 minUses remaining half fried spice mixture for sauce · 500 ml reserved strained tongue broth · 1 tsp tamarind extract · Salt to taste in satay sauce

13. 13

    Step 13: Strain the broth, and let it slightly cool off.

    Uses cooked tongue-satay sauce broth

14. 14

    Step 14: Dilute the rice flour (3 tbsp) with a little bit of water and pour it into the broth. Mix well.

    Uses strained slightly cooled satay broth · 3 tbsp rice flour · Water as needed to dilute rice-flour slurry

15. 15

    Step 15: Cook the broth over medium low heat (stir constantly to avoid clumping) until the sauce is thickened. Set aside.

    Cook and stir satay sauce until thickenedUses rice-flour slurry mixed into satay broth

    
16. 16

    Step 16: Thread the tender tongue cubes onto 15–20 bamboo skewers. Grill briefly over an outdoor charcoal grill or on a grill pan, just until slightly charred.

    Briefly grill cooked tongue skewers until slightly charredUses tender cooled spiced tongue cubes

    
17. 17

    Step 17: Transfer the satay into a serving plate, pour a generous amount of the sauce over it and sprinkle with fried shallots. Serve sate Padang with lontong/ketupat.

    Uses grilled tongue skewers · thickened Padang satay sauce · Fried shallots · Lontong/ketupat