Braaied Pork Rashers with Creamy Satay Peanut Sauce
A delicious South African braai recipe with Indonesian flavours
Cooking for a large crowd is something I’ve become quite used to, but doing it in the Netherlands for my Dutch wife’s entire extended family including her aunts, uncles, cousins and their children was an interesting challenge. We hosted a proper South African evening to bring a taste of South Africa, and this dish was a winner.
Indonesia and the Netherlands share a deep culinary history and I’ve come to love the sweet and nutty satay peanut sauce which the Dutch serve with everything including chips. I opted to serve it along with South African braai meat. Pairing salty pork rashers (called speklapjes in Dutch) with the rich buttery sauce was a great match.
By slow-simmering the pork rashers first, the meat was meltingly tender, and by braaiing it over the coals afterwards, the pork rashers picked up a subtle smoky crust. Topping it off with the glossy peanut glaze, this dish was caramelises into sticky perfection. It’s smoky, nutty, sweet, and pure comfort food and it will win over a crowd, no matter what corner of the world you’re in!
Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2½–3 hours
Ingredients to make the Braaied Pork Rashers
2 kg pork rashers
2 litres water
2 onions
8 garlic cloves
50 g fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
Ingredients to make the creamy satay peanut sauce
1 cup smooth peanut butter
400 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional but recommended)
2 tbsp Banhoek Chilli Oil (or your favourite chilli oil)
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
20 g fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
2–4 tbsp hot water if needed
Garnish:
Roasted peanuts, chopped
Fresh coriander
Spring onions, sliced
Lime wedges
Sesame seeds
How to make the braaied pork rashers
Bring a large pot of 2 litres water to the boil.
Quarter the onions, crush the garlic cloves, slice the fresh gingner and add it to the pot along with the cinnamon sticks, star anise, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and bay leaves.
Also add the brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika and salt to the pan.
Place the pork rashers into the pan as well and reduce to a very gentle rolling simmer.
Cook uncovered for 2 to 2½ hours, turning occasionally, until the pork is fork tender but still holds together.
Remove from the liquid and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Pat the pork rashers dry with paper towel.
Next, make the satay sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan.
Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until smooth.
If too thick, add a little hot water until it reaches a brushable consistency.
Taste and adjust with extra lime, soy or chilli oil.
Then, prepare a medium-hot braai with a two-zone fire.
Lightly oil the pork and grill over indirect heat for 8–10 minutes to warm through and pick up smoke. Move over the hot coals.
Brush generously with the satay sauce and grill for 2–3 minutes per side.
Continue brushing and turning every minute until the sauce becomes sticky, glossy and lightly caramelised. Watch carefully—the peanut sauce can burn if left over direct heat for too long.
To serve, slice the pork rashers between the bones and arrange on a platter.
Spoon over a little extra warm satay sauce and garnish with:
Chopped roasted peanuts
Fresh coriander
Spring onions
Sesame seeds
Fresh lime wedges
Enjoy! Please tag me on Instagram if you’ve made this recipe - I’d love to see it!
Serving suggestions
This braai dish pairs well with:
Coconut jasmine rice
Charred baby gem lettuce with lime dressing
Asian-style slaw with cabbage, carrot and cucumber
Braaied pineapple with chilli and lime
Grilled corn brushed with chilli butter
The Roasted Dad Tip
Reserve about a cup of the pork cooking liquid. Add a few tablespoons to the satay sauce while it simmers. The collagen-rich stock adds depth and creates an even silkier sauce that clings beautifully to the pork.
More recipes
Below the newsletter block, you will find some more recipes.
There are a lot of different types of meats you can cook on the braai. How about this Prime Rib Roast with Exotic Mushroom Sauce and Pak Choy? You can also make a Leg of Lamb on the braai or a Lemon & Herb Peri-Peri and Rosemary Deboned Leg of Lamb. I’ve also made Ostrich Fillet Kebabs with Nectarine and Rosemary on the braai.
Other than meat, South Africans also love to put seafood on the braai. This braaied snoek recipe with plum jam is a winner.
If you’re looking for a side on the braai, you can either make this pull bread with pesto, mozzarella and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, or make traditional braai broodjies (keep an eye out for my secret ingredient). If you have leftover gammon, these gammon braai broodjies are also to die for.
About Shawn Godfrey
Photo credit: Niki M Photography
Shawn Godfrey is an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw his business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep him sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join him, he starts his instagram account The Roasted Dad.
Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim Shawn (encouraged by his wife Lianne) enters MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when Shawn gets selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, he decides to go all in. Leaving his 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, he battles it out and comes back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in his pocket.
It all started with an Instagram account, but The Roasted Dad is so much more now. Shawn has stayed his entrepreneurial self and whilst he hosts Private Dinner Parties and Cook-with-Me Demos, does Restaurant Take-Overs, he still runs the lighting company and several other businesses.
On his blog, Shawn shares Restaurant Reviews and Accommodation Reviews, and gives an insight into the wild and wonderful life he leads together with his wife Lianne, and their three children Aiden (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4).
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