Thai Peanut Marinade for Chicken

Ok so perhaps you may have to buy a few ingredients for these.  Some ingredients here are not what the average person keeps in their pantry. It is well worth your time.  This is some of the BEST chicken I have EVER had.  What makes cooking and eating fun, is by experimenting with new flavor combinations.  George took a recipe and twisted it a bit and came up with his own.  And let me tell you, it was heavenly.  It was not too "peanutyy" as many thai peanut marinades can be.  It was just the right flavors.  George tried to re-create for me the ingredients he used. I will put the real recipe here and put George's substitutions in parenthesis. Here goes. 

Thai Peanut Marinade

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (George used a mix of rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (George used the bottled lime juice)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (George used lite brown sugar)

1/2 Asian or domestic cold-pressed peanut oil  (George used ginger oil but said any oil would do)

1 tablespoon sesame oil  (George said this was very important - no substitution here!)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemongrass (George used coriander seed instead)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed, about one tablespoon

2 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onions (white onion was used)

1 cup of peanut butter

1-inch cube fresh ginger root, diced (George used ginger powder)

1 tablespoon curry powder or Garam Masala** (George used a mixture of these both)

For the chicken he cubed up some chicken thigh meat and marinated the cubes for several hours.  Recipe recommends at least six hours, preferably overnight.  
Then George put them on skewers and grilled them.  However, you can fry them in peanut oil, after coating them with flour, peanuts, and garam masala all shaken in a paper bag.  I loved the grilled version and the taste was awesome.  I'm sure fried would be good too.  But grilling may actually keep that flavor alive!  ENJOY and I hope you fix this b/c it was special.  I'm keeping it on my blog for reference for myself!

**Garam Masala - is an Indian sweet spice used in curries and marinades and gives off a sweet exotic fragrance. There are many variations of this, but you can make your own or buy a blend already made.  

We use Penzey Spices for any exotic spice blends.  It's just easier!  Get on their mailing list and you will get a catalog periodically with all their spices and spice blends one thing we like is that there are lots of neat recipes in their catalog.  When you order, they always send a free gift.  We have really enjoyed trying their various spice blends on chicken, meat, fish, potatoes.  Fun to taste varied flavors.  We will stand at the kitchen and smell the spices and try to pick which one to use by eliminating one at the time.  lol

Bottom line is ENJOY.  Penzey's motto is "Love People.  Cook them tasty food."

Coffee Marinated Steak

Coffee Marinated Steak

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in skillet. Add sesame seeds and toast them. Add onion and garlic to the skillet and saute them until tender.

In a bowl, combine coffee, soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sesame seed mixture. Pour half of the mixture into a sealable plastic bag; add steak. Refrigerate overnight if possible or at least for 6-8 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade also.

Drain and discard marinade from steak. Grill steak, covered, over medium-hot heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until the meat reaches desired doneness. Warm and serve remaining marinade to serve with steak.

This was such an awesome recipe!!!