Star Anise Flank Steak

One day I was watching the Cooking Channel and saw this luscious dish being made on the show Everyday Exotic. I immediately bookmarked it online to save for later. Had some trouble finding the Thai red chile, so instead, I used a couple tablespoons of bottled Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. I figured this was close enough to the "heat" it called for. And I only used the rinds of the oranges since the juice seemed to add too much liquid. Grinding the star anise is a must. I'm getting in to grinding fresh spices and it really makes a difference. So the verdict? It turned out pretty darn good. I'd use less chili sauce next time. And I'd try to find an alternate way of frying the steak--it soaked up a LOT of oil and I don't like frying foods, so heavy and unhealthy. But I recommend it and would try it again!


Star Anise Flank Steak

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 shallot, cut in half and sliced
• 2 star anise, whole
• 1 Thai red chile, slit lengthwise, seeded and kept in one piece
• 2 cups store-bought orange juice
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• 1 tablespoon fresh smashed ginger
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 whole star anise, ground in mortar and pestle
• 1 tablespoon butter, cold

• Kosher salt
• Flank Steak
• 1 flank steak, cut into 1/4-inch slices across the grain
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 star anise, ground in mortar and pestle
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Star Anise-Orange Sauce
• Kosher salt

For the star anise-orange sauce:
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, tossing until they are golden brown, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add the whole star anise and chile. Deglaze with the fresh orange juice. Add the ginger and sugar, stir. Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until a syrup consistency, approximately 5 minutes. Strain into a smaller saucepan, and return to the stove. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, ground star anise and orange zest. Cook over medium-low heat until the orange zest is tender, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, stir to incorporate. Season the mixture with salt.

For the flank steak:
In a large, wide-based pot, heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Prepare a sheet tray lined with paper towel.

Place the cornstarch, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and half of 1 ground star anise in a bowl. Lightly dredge the flank steak slices in the cornstarch mixture in batches.

Fry the flank steak slices in batches. Remove the steak from the oil and place on a lined tray. Fry the remaining flank steak, repeating the process. Place the flank steak in a large bowl, toss with the Star Anise Orange Sauce and season with the other half of the ground star anise and salt. Serve with rice!