Thai BBQ – Satay and More

So strong is the Thai love of yaang (live-fire cooking), they reserve it not just for special occasions, but for everyday fare. The marinades are variations of fish sauce (nampla), lime juice, sugar and garlic. The table sauces range from a mild, sweet lemon-honey-garlic sauce to an incendiary mix of chiles, shallots and fish sauce. Fish sauce is very fundamental to Thai barbecue, as a marinade and dip for grilled fish. Seafood and vegetables also play a major role in Thai grilling. When meats are eaten, it is in small quantities, with a high proportion of vegetables and rice. Thailand is famous for their gai yaang (grilled chicken) and pla yaang (grilled fish). However, the most famous Thai grilled food in the U.S. is saté (also spelled Satay). Named for the Javanese word meaning to "stick" or "skewer," saté consists of tiny pieces of chicken, pork, or other meats grilled on tiny bamboo skewers. A tasty marinade is a fish sauce in a coconut milk mixture. (The oil-rich coconut milk keeps the meat from drying out.) Thai saté is traditionally accompanied by a creamy peanut sauce and a tangy cucumber salad.