There's quite a bit of preparation required for this recipe, but it all comes together in a jiffy and the rich sauce is well worth the trouble.
For the sauce, pound the lemongrass to a pulp in a pestle and mortar.
Gently toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, star anise and cardamom in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind until the spices are as smooth as possible.
In a wide pan or wok, melt the coconut cream over a low heat. Add the onions, garlic, chillies, ginger and pounded lemongrass and cook gently until the onions have softened. Add the ground spices and the bay leaf and fry for a few minutes more until the mixture is really bursting with aroma. Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil and then add the hot stock. Turn the heat up to high and continue cooking - the amount of liquid will quickly reduce. Only stir occasionally until the sauce reduces to a thick paste.
Rub a little oil on the steaks. Heat a heavy based frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat. When hot, add the steaks and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.
For the Asian slaw, put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a pestle and mortar and pound to a rough paste. Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and mix well.
To serve, cut the steak into slices and place on serving plates. Pour over the rending sauce. Serve the slaw on the side. Garnish with coconut shavings.
