This post is sponsored by Snoqualmie Wine. All opinions are my own.
This month, Daniel and I are moving back in together…and that calls for a celebration meal.
Celebrations for me almost always involve beef–and I can thank my mom for that hand-me-down tradition. It’s so ingrained in me now that whenever anything big happens, all I crave is red meat.
This week, I knew that a special meal needed to be made–even if the meal was going to be eaten while sitting on the floor around the coffee table surrounded by chaos.
Snoqualmie Vineyards sent me an assortment their acclaimed wines, and being that they’re all from Columbia Valley in Washington state, I can’t help but get nostalgic for our life in Seattle, and the last time Daniel and I unpacked boxes like this. Five years later, this wine feels like just the thing for us right now.
Snoqualmie’s wines are made using sustainable and organic practices, which is pretty darn impressive. Snoqualmie was one of first wineries in the state to craft wines from USDA‐certified organically grown grapes and today, they have the largest certified organic vineyard in the state. They introduced new sustainable packaging for their entire line of wines and began shipping them nationally in February 2013.
I decided to open the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and make something I just knew we’d both love: seared beef tenderloin with a thyme-infused mushroom cabernet sauce.
Whenever I get a new bottle of wine, I like to try it and get a sense of what I really think, then read the tasting notes so that I’m not influenced by someone far more refined and articulate. When I tasted this cab, I noticed a slight plum flavor/aroma (am I the only one who has trouble distinguishing flavor and aroma when tasting wine?), then I remember liking a very mild coffee aroma. Then, I read what winemaker Joy Anderson had to say about it. “The Snoqualmie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of ripe black cherry spiced with herbal notes on the nose. On the palate is a hint of sage with subtle sweet oak followed by long velvety tannins.”
OK she wins.
The Snoqualmie Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, with only the help of thyme, garlic, and a little onion, creates a full-bodied, rich sauce that isn’t sweet, but just the tiniest bit jammy–exactly where the black cherry flavor comes through. It couldn’t be a more perfect companion for the mushrooms and beef. When I was finished making dinner, I was already planning when I’d make it again–and that’s saying a lot.
Three bites in and Daniel called this meal his new favorite. I’ve made something very similar before, so now I know I have a good bottle of red to thank.
We clinked glasses filled with more of that dry cab–toasting not to our last move, but maybe our most meaningful.
Cheers to living with this man for a very, very long time.
Ingredients
- 4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about 1/2 inch thick)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine like Snoqualmie Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season the steaks generously salt and pepper.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the steaks and cook for 4 minutes per side for medium doneness. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest while you make the mushroom sauce.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and scrape up any crispy bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce by half, about 6 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated. Stir in the fresh parsley. To serve, plate the steak alongside the Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and spoon a quarter of the mushroom red wine sauce over the top.
Notes
Nutrition Information (mashed cauliflower not included): Calories 387, Fat 26g, Carb 5g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 1g, Protein 24g
Recipe inspired by and adapted from The Neelys
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