Instructions: Note: The quantity of sauce was reduced by half from the original recipe. The sauce is quite salty. Use the lowest sodium chicken broth or stock available. Use low sodium soy sauce. Use Wondra flour as an alternative to beurre manie. You may need more flour than indicated to make a thin sauce.

The recipe could be made with a firmer cut of beef, although the "meltingly tender" adjective wont apply.

This is the summer special-occasion dish to beat all special-occasion dishes. I say "summer" because the best way to prepare these well-marinated steaks is on the grill, and for many of us that means summer. And as for the "special-occasion" part, anytime beef of this quality and amount is involved, it usually means something special is being celebrated

Admittedly, this is not a staff-meal dish but its one I wanted very much to include because its a favorite of mine. Actually, the real star here is the sauce, based on Chinese flavors. It marries beautifully with the tender beef, especially after the beef has been marinated in a compatibly flavored mixture just long enough so that its outer layer is permeated. Although the flavors are more exaggerated than they would be in a traditional Chinese dish, they infuse without overwhelming. Freshly steamed rice would accompany the steaks nicely.

1. Prepare the marinade: Place the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, five-spice powder, sesame oil, and ginger in a bowl and whisk until blended. Place the beef in a large roasting pan and pour the marinade over it. Turn the beef so that its coated all over with the marinade. Refrigerate, covered, for 12 hours, turning the beef several times as it marinates.

2. Prepare the sauce: Hear the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well browned, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the wine and soy sauce, increase the heat to high, and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the rock sugar, orange peel, star anise, cinnamon stick, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the liquid for 1 hour.

4. Pour the sauce into a colander set over a second large pot, pushing down on the vegetables and spices to extract as much liquid as possible. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium high and boil until the liquid starts to thicken (it should be reduced by half and become more sauce like), about 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat a grill to high or preheat the broiler.

6. Taste the sauce; it should be mildly sweet, salty, and redolent with the flavor of anise. Reduce the heat to medium, whisk in the beurre manie; and continue cooking the sauce, whisking frequently, until it has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside, covered to keep warm, while you grill the steaks.

7. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry. Oil the grill rack, place the steaks on the rack, and grill, making sure you watch the heat carefully; the sugar and soy sauce tend to cause the meat to blacken quickly. If you like your steak rare, figure 4 to 6 minutes per side; for medium, 6 to 8 minutes per side.

8. Transfer the steaks to a platter or individual plates. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.

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