Serves: 2
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Steak
2 ribeye steaks, 10–12 oz each, about 1¼ inches thick
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Star Fruit Sauce
2 medium ripe star fruits
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup beef stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Preparation
Wash the star fruit under cool running water.
Trim the very tips from the five ridges and cut the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch star-shaped slices.
Remove any seeds.
Reserve about 6 attractive slices for finishing. Dice the remaining star fruit into approximately ¼-inch pieces.
Pat the steaks completely dry.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat for approximately 2 minutes.
Add the oil.
When the oil is shimmering, place the steaks into the skillet.
Cook approximately 3½–4 minutes on the first side without moving them.
Flip and cook another 3–4 minutes.
Add butter, garlic and thyme.
Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the foaming butter over the steaks for approximately 60–90 seconds.
Continue cooking until the thickest part reaches your desired temperature. For medium-rare, remove at 125–130°F, then rest.
Transfer steaks to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Rest 7–10 minutes.
Make the star fruit sauce
Reduce the skillet to medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon butter.
Add the minced shallot and cook 2 minutes.
Add the diced star fruit and brown sugar.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently. The fruit should soften slightly while retaining some shape.
Carefully add bourbon.
Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce.
Add beef stock, balsamic vinegar and Dijon.
Simmer 4–5 minutes, until reduced by approximately one-third.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter.
Serve
Slice each steak against the grain and spoon the sauce over it. Arrange the reserved star-fruit stars on top.
The key: Don’t cook the star fruit until mushy. You want little pieces of sweet-tart fruit throughout the rich bourbon sauce.