How do Thai People Make Peanut Sauce? I'm interested in making my own Thai Peanut sauce. However, every recipe I see online says to use peanut butter.  I like Thai Peanut sauce I have in restaurants, but I  HATE peanut butter.  So when I see a recipe that uses peanut butter (which also has tons of extra crap in it that is less than good for you), I think that the final result can't be good.

How does one make a peanut sauce without peanut butter? Grind peanuts yourself?
Peanut butter is just ground roasted peanuts essentially.  The american style peanut butter tends to be sweetened, as well as having extra oil and salt.  But they are only slight flavour/texture enhancers (not that I think sugar enhances it, UK peanut butter is unsweetened usually).

Satay sauces are essentially just peanut butter sauces, roast some peanuts, grind them, then add to some lightly fried shallots and garlic, with chilli, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, sugar and if you want it authentic probably some nam pla (fish sauce), or blachan (shrimp paste), all of the above to taste.  Thin with water and reduce to the consistency you desire.