Onglet steak with biryani spices

Ingredients

• 250 g (9 oz) onglet/hanger steak
• sea salt
• sheba
• pap (recipe here)

Biryani spices

• 1 tbsp cardamom pods
• 1 tbsp star anise
• 1 tbsp dehydrated grapefruit, orange and lemon zest
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp roasted chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Madras curry powder
• 1 tbsp dehydrated tomato powder
• 1 tbsp freeze-dried mandarin powder
• 1 tbsp French shallots, sliced and pan-fried

Basting mix

• 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) soy sauce
• pinch of sugar
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Marinating time 2½–3 hours

Instructions

To make the biryani spices, roughly crush the cardamom pods and star anise in a mortar and pestle. Add the dehydrated citrus zest and coriander seeds and continue to pound. Add the roasted chilli powder, curry powder and tomato powder. Add the mandarin powder, pound again and finally add the shallots.

Trim the excess fat and sinew from the steak.

Season generously with salt and coat well in biryani spices, pressing well to adhere.

Cover and leave to marinate for 2½–3 hours at room temperature.

For the basting mix, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chillies and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Over a hot charcoal grill, caramelise the steak on all sides, turning and basting every few minutes for about 6–8 minutes until medium-rare.

Rest for 5 minutes before serving with sheba and pap.

Recipe from Food Safari Fire by Maeve O'Meara (Hardie Grant, hbk, $55).  Photography by Toufic Charabati.

Food Safari Fire starts Thursday 7 January 2016 at 8pm on SBS. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Read our interview with Duncan Welgemoed here.