Tangerine Beef

This is kind of an Asian fusion recipe--according to the Bon Appetit I got it from, they made this at the Ritz in Shanghai. Perfect. We (the meat eaters among us) really enjoyed it--there's not a lot of tangerine flavor, which is kind of a shame, but it's still very much worth eating.

Tangerine Beef

Juice and grated zest of 2 large or 3 small tangerines

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 T. soy sauce

4 steaks of your choice (I used flank steak; the recipe called for tenderloin. Let your budget be your guide)

2 c. beef broth

1/3 c. ruby Port

1 star anise

2 T. olive oil

1-1/2 t. Szechuan (or regular) peppercorns (note: Szechuan peppercorns are legal again, but they still make your tongue numb!)

2 T. butter

8 oz. shiitake or regular mushrooms, sliced

2 large or 3 small shallots, diced

Mix together the tangerine juice/zest, garlic, and soy sauce in a large Zip-loc (or other container suitable for marinating). Add the steaks and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Remove steaks from the marinade and pour the marinade into a medium saucepan. Add the broth, Port, and star anise and boil to reduce down to about 3/4 c. This will take about 10 minutes. Take out the star anise and get ready to cook the steaks.

Heat the oven to 350. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Coat the steaks with the peppercorns and then sear the steaks on both sides. Transfer them to a baking dish and let finish in the oven (if you like your steaks really rare, just have the oven on to about 225 to keep the steaks warm). Add the butter to the pan; when it has melted, add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté until the mushrooms start giving off juices. Add the reduced sauce, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, and let cook and reduce another 5 minutes or so. Season the sauce to taste.

Slice the steak thinly, especially if it's a flank steak or other less expensive cut, and serve with the sauce.