SERVES 4

This recipe comes from the Hitching Post restaurant in Buellton, California. They grill their steaks on a hot oak fire giving the beef a slightly smoked flavor. Requires overnight refrigeration.

1 head garlic, loose papery skin peeled off
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning mix
2 tbsp. Hitching Post Magic Dust
4  8-oz. boneless top blade steaks
6 oz. demi-glace
1 tsp. minced dried cherries
1/2 tsp. sichuan peppercorns, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Cut garlic head in half crosswise, put halves on an 8" square of foil, drizzle cut sides with 1 tsp. of the oil, then loosely wrap foil around garlic. Bake until cloves are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, unwrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze garlic out of skins into a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Add vinegar, Cajun seasoning, 1 tbsp. of the Magic Dust, and remaining oil to roasted garlic and mix well.

2. Put steaks into a large, shallow dish and rub garlic mixture all over meat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

3. Put demi-glace, cherries, and peppercorns into a small pot and boil over high heat until reduced by half, 2–3 minutes; set aside.

4. Preheat grill. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp. of the Magic Dust over steaks, then grill over medium-high heat, turning often, 4–6 minutes for medium rare. Serve sauce alongside steak, and with french fries, if you like.