Recipe: Venison Peanut Satay

When you have family that taught English in Indonesia, you learn how to grill great peanut satay. This recipe is easy to make with unsalted peanuts or crunchy peanut butter—the latter is more likely to be in hunting camp.

The sauce and marinade are easy to make and can be altered for heat with the number of chilies you add to the mix. The sauce will store in the fridge for a week, so plan on several meals, or make lots at once and use extra sauce for dipping leftovers.

Ingredients
• 2 lbs. venison rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red chili, finely chopped (substitute 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
• 1 can coconut milk

Directions
1. Heat both oils in a wok and fry the garlic, onion and chilies over medium heat until onion is soft.
2. Add the sugar and stir until the mixture starts to caramelize. Add the sweet soy sauce and peanut butter and stir until the mixture is well blended.
3. Slowly add the coconut milk and continue mixing. Simmer the peanut satay mixture until it is a thick sauce, then let cool to room temperature. Reserve ½ cup for dipping later, if desired.
4. Slice venison into ¼-inch thick strips, across the grain of the meat.
5. Place meat in a zipper bag and cover with peanut satay. Let marinate for 2 hours.
6. Thread meat onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in cold water.
7. Grill the venison peanut satay skewers over medium heat until browned. Serve with extra peanut sauce.