Smoked Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine ground turmeric (1.0 tbsp), ground coriander (1.0 tbsp), ground cumin (1.0 tsp), grated galangal or ginger (2.0 tbsp), garlic cloves (4.0), shallots (2.0), soy sauce (2.0 tbsp), palm sugar or brown sugar (2.0 tbsp), neutral oil (2.0 tbsp), and salt (1.0 tsp). Process until you have a smooth, vibrant yellow paste. This potent mixture ensures the chicken is seasoned deeply through the meat rather than just on the surface.

Place the boneless chicken thigh strips (2.0 lbs) into a large glass bowl or heavy-duty zip-top bag and pour the marinade over them. Use your hands to massage the paste into every crevice of the meat until every strip is well-coated. Seal the container and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours; the long rest allows the turmeric and aromatics to tenderize the thighs and infuse local street-food flavor.

While the chicken finishes marinating, submerge your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from snapping or catching fire on the grill. Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 275°F using a mild wood like apple or cherry. Clean your grates thoroughly and lighty oil them to ensure the lean meat doesn't stick when you begin the cook.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and thread the strips onto the soaked skewers, weaving the needle through the meat to keep it flat and tight against the wood. You want about 3 to 4 inches of meat per skewer, leaving enough of the handle exposed so you can flip them easily. Avoid leaving 'flaps' of meat hanging off, as these will overcook and dry out during the smoking process.

Arrange the skewers on the smoker grates, leaving a small gap between each for airflow. Close the lid and smoke for 30 to 35 minutes until the internal temperature of the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should look opaque and have a beautiful golden-orange hue from the turmeric and wood smoke.

While the chicken smokes, combine the natural peanut butter (0.5 cup), coconut milk (1.0 cup), soy sauce (2.0 tbsp), palm sugar (2.0 tbsp), tamarind paste (1.0 tbsp), and red curry paste (1.0 tbsp) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil just starts to separate, which signals the flavors have melded. Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten the heavy fats.

If your smoker has a searing zone or if you have a hot grill nearby, quickly flash each side of the skewers over direct high heat for 30 seconds until the edges show small charred spots. This replicates the traditional charcoal-grilled finish found in SE Asia. Transfer the hot skewers to a platter and serve immediately with the warm peanut sauce for dipping.