STAR ANISE BEEF STEW

I found this recipe in a book called Spices of Life.

Serves 4-5

Star anise, with its pungent licoricey flavor, is a wonderful complement to
beef and red wine, and adds another dimension of flavor to this dish. Use it
carefully as it can easily overpower. You can serve this dish over a crisp-cooked
green vegetables, slices of  fennel with steamed rice, or with green beans and a bread roll.

1kg beef stewing meat such as chuck or blade, trimmed of fat and gristle
½ cup  all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife or cleaver
6 small onions, weighing about 1 pound, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
3 whole stars anise, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver
1 cup rice wine or sake
1  cup red wine
½ cup sodium reduced chicken broth
500g  baby carrots, or large carrots, peeled and cut into half, lengthwise, then cut into 1 ½-inch lengths

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Cut the meat into 1 ½-inch cubes. On a plate and mix together the flour. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour. Lightly squeeze the meat pieces to adhere the flour to the surface. Discard the excess flour.
2. Heat a 4 liter Dutch oven or roasting dish, add 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil, and heat until very hot. Add a batch of the beef and brown on all sides, over medium-high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Heat the remaining oil, and continue frying the remaining beef. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the garlic, onions, and star anise. Fry briefly over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice wine, red wine, and chicken broth and stir to mix together. Add the beef cubes, carrots, salt, and pepper, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover tightly and place in the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef and vegetables are very tender. Taste for seasoning.