Photo by Gayle T. Tiller

SERVES SIX • 3"-thick tenderloin fillets • 4 ounces Danish bleu cheese • Cracked Szechuan peppercorns • 1 cup mesquite chips, soaked in water • 3 large Vidalia onions, halved • Assorted herbs (such as parsley, basil and oregano), chopped fine • ½ cup dried cherries, chopped • 1 cup red wine (preferably what you will be drinking) • 2 to 3 tablespoons crumbled Danish bleu cheese • 3 tablespoons butter, chilled

Prepare grill.
Coat the cut side of each onion half with chopped herbs. Place herbed side up on individual squares of foil, sprinkle sparingly with water and wrap completely. Place on edges of the grill’s grate.

Cut a pocket into the side of each fillet and stuff with a slice of bleu cheese. Sprinkle with cracked peppercorns and sear on a hot grill with the cover off. For rare steaks, cook about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle coals with wet mesquite chips, close vents nearly completely and cover. Smoke for about 5 minutes. Remove steaks, tent with foil and allow to rest while preparing sauce.

For demi-glace, pour wine and dried cherries into a heavy saucepan; put on grill and reduce wine by half. Remove from heat and stir in bleu cheese. Stir in butter by the tablespoon. Remove onions from grill.

TO SERVE: Place a fillet and an onion on each plate; top fillets with sauce.