1/2 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground star anise, plus whole pieces, for garnish
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup Madeira
3/4 cup veal stock
1 pound beef tenderloin
1/2 tablespoon Chinese powdered mustard
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Preheat a grill.

In a saucepan, heat oil, black peppercorns, star anise, coriander seeds, and Szechuan peppercorns for 1 minute until aromatic. Stir in red curry paste, tamarind paste, and honey. Deglaze with Madeira and reduce until syrupy. Add the veal stock and continue to reduce by half. Transfer to a blender and process to a puree. Strain and set aside.

Over hot grill, cook the tenderloin until grill marks appear on all sides. Transfer to a saute pan and pour in half of the strained sauce. Roast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Transfer the remaining sauce to a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Reduce until thickened. In a cup, dissolve the powdered mustard in rice wine vinegar. Whisk in mustard and finish sauce with the butter.

To serve, cut the steak into thin slices. Nap with Madeira Mustard Sauce and serve with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes garnished with a whole star anise.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

1 pound baking potatoes, like russets, peeled
Salted water
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream, heated
1 tablespoon roasted garlic puree
1/2 pound spinach, stems removed
1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
Salt and pepper

Cut the potatoes into large pieces of equal size. Cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain thoroughly. Pass through a food mill and whip in the butter, hot cream and roasted garlic puree.

Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Refresh in ice water. Drain thoroughly. Transfer to a blender and add wasabi powder. Process to a puree. Stir into warm mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.