An Easy Steakhouse Dinner at Home with Washington Wine Pairing
- Wendy VanArsdale
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
This weekend’s dinner is a reminder to me that I don’t need a reservation at an expensive restaurant to create an incredible evening.
We smoked a pre-seasoned Morton's of Omaha tri-tip from Costco on the Traeger, paired it with double baked potatoes, homemade chimichurri sauce, a simple salad with homemade ranch dressing, and opened a bottle of Terra Blanca’s 2020 Onyx blend from Red Mountain.
And honestly, it was one of those dinners that makes you want to slow down, pour another glass of wine, and stay at the table a little longer.
The tri-tip, being already pre -seasoned, which made this surprisingly easy for a weekend dinner. I used a reverse sear method on the Traeger — smoking it low and slow at 225 degrees until it reached about 115°F internally before increasing the heat to finish with a high-heat sear. After resting and slicing against the grain, it turned out smoky, juicy, and incredibly tender.
The double baked potatoes were essentially comfort food disguised as steakhouse food. Creamy mashed potatoes spooned back into crisp potato skins and baked until golden. I used this version of the Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes recipe because it is simple and yet always turns out terrific.
But the element that truly tied the entire dinner together was the wine pairing.
We opened the 2020 Onyx blend from Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard, and it paired beautifully with every component on the plate.
The Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend had enough structure to stand up to the smoky beef, while the Merlot softened everything alongside the creamy potatoes and ranch dressing. And the Cabernet Franc added subtle herbal notes that echoed the fresh chimichurri. The small additions of Petit Verdot and Malbec to this blend really add a beautiful fruit taste that makes the whole glass taste very balanced.
Wine is food. It is meant not to be just tasted, but to be part of your dinner. Enhancing all the other elements on your plate. And to be enjoyed at the dinner table alongside good food and long conversations.
I also think meals like this are a good reminder that creating a memorable evening at home does not have to involve complicated recipes or hours in the kitchen.
A few small homemade touches make all the difference.
I highly recommend making the chimichurri sauce fresh rather than buying it bottled. I followed this chimichurri recipe from Cafe Delites but left out the red chilis because I wanted the sauce to complement the wine rather than overpower it.
The homemade ranch was also worth the extra few minutes. I make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator for salads, vegetables, and dips throughout the week. This homemade buttermilk ranch recipe from Once Upon a Chef has become one of my favorites.
In the end, this dinner was not really about steak or potatoes or even the wine.
It was about slowing down enough to enjoy an ordinary evening and realizing that some of the best meals are the ones shared at home, outside on the patio, with a glass of Washington wine in hand.
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