Beef Wellington
Continuing with our December holiday meals theme, today I’m going to share my beef wellington recipe. Beef wellington is a classic English dish and one of my favorite holiday meals. Beef tenderloin is wrapped in a duxelles, prosciutto, and puff pastry and then cooked to perfection. Perfect for Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, or any holiday that you celebrate – this one will leave your guests extremely impressed.
Brown the tenderloin
Assuming that you’re going to be cooking for a large group, the first thing you’re going to need is a large beef tenderloin (around 3 lbs). You’ll want to bring it to room temperature and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Sear all sides over medium-high to high heat until a dark crust forms, making sure to get the ends as well. Remove from the heat and let it rest on a rack with a tray or paper towel under it. Brush dijon mustard on all sides while it’s still hot and let the meat rest.
Make the duxelles
As the tenderloin is resting, it’s time to make our duxelles. Duxelles is a French culinary term for a mixture of chopped mushrooms, shallots, and herbs that’s cooked down into a paste. The Spruce Eats has an article on it if you would like more information. My duxelles includes the following:
- Mushrooms
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Butter
- Thyme
- Red Wine
- Salt
- Pepper
The process is simple. Mince all of your produce ingredients and cook over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, the goal here is to cook everything down until the moisture is gone and you’re left with a dry paste. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms – have no worries. This process leaves you with a paste that does not have the texture or taste of mushrooms. It’s truly delicious. Once done, allow this mixture to cool.
Time for the first wrap
With the duxelles now cooled, lay out a large layer of plastic wrap. Use multiple pieces if necessary to ensure it is long enough for the tenderloin to fit. First put prosciutto down with pieces layering over each other. You will need enough so that when we roll the tenderloin, there’s enough to completely wrap it. Spread a layer of the duxelles over the prosciutto (covering it all). Then tightly wrap the tenderloin with the prosciutto/duxelles and plastic wrap. Once it’s completely wrapped, continue to twist the ends of the plastic wrap so that it get’s very tight. Put this in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes so that it “sets”.
Time of the second wrap
Lay out a new layer of plastic wrap that’s the same size as the one you previously laid out. Lay out a piece of puff pastry on the plastic wrap that will be large enough to wrap the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin. Now place the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin on the puff pastry and completely wrap it up. Make sure to enclose the ends of the puff pastry so that the tenderloin is completely wrapped. Tightly close with the ends of the plastic wrap again and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
In the oven it goes
Now that the hard part is done, we just need to cook it in the oven to finish it. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Optional but recommended: brush the entire wellington with a beaten egg (this will help give the puff pasty a golden brown color) and sprinkle salt on top. Put it on a tray with some foil and cook for about 40 minutes in the oven. This should get it to around medium rare but check for an internal temperature of 135ºF to make sure. Bonus: the good thing about beef wellington is that the ends will be more cooked than the middle – if the middle is medium rare, then the ends will be more cooked for anyone that prefers beef that’s more done.
Slice and enjoy!
When the wellington is done, allow to rest for 10 minutes and slice into individual pieces. That’s all there is to it! While it may sound like there are a lot of steps, they are all very doable and completely worth it. You could even do all of the steps up to and including wrapping it in the puff pastry the night before – just make sure to refrigerate it. This is, in my opinion, the perfect holiday meal. Delicious flavor and amazing textures, this will not disappoint. Give it a try this holiday season and leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think. Go impress your family and friends and enjoy!
Beef Wellington
Ingredients
Beef Tenderloin
- 3 lb Beef Tenderloin
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Avocado Oil or any neutral oil
- Dijon Mustard
Duxelles
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 2 lbs Mushrooms minced
- 3 Shallots minced
- 6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2-3 Thyme Sprigs leaves only
- 1 splash Red Wine
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Beef Wellington Compilation
- 1/2 lb Prosciutto
- 1-2 sheets Puff Pasty
- 1 Egg beaten
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Beef Tenderloin
- Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Generously season all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high to high heat. Sear all sides of the tenderloin, including the ends, until a brown crust has formed. This should take a few minutes per side. Remove from heat and put on a rack with a tray or paper towels under it.
- While still hot, brush dijon mustard all over the tenderloin. Allow to rest and cool.
Duxelles
- In the same pan you used to brown the tenderloin, add the butter, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, thyme, and red wine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stirring occasionally, cook until the duxelles moisture is gone and you are left with a dried paste like mixture. This could take up to 30 minutes or longer.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Beef Wellington Compilation
- Place a large layer of plastic wrap on a table or counter. If necessary, use multiple pieces to make sure there is enough to completely wrap and cover the length and width of the tenderloin.
- Lay pieces of prosciutto on the plastic wrap. Overlap the pieces so that there will be enough to wrap and cover the tenderloin. Evenly spread a layer of the duxelles over the prosciutto.
- Place the tenderloin on top of the duxelles/prosciutto/plastic wrap and roll it until it is tightly wrapped up. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to make sure it is very tight. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow it to "set".
- Place a new layer of plastic wrap down and lay a piece of puff pastry down (again, enough to be able to wrap the tenderloin). Place the prosciutto-wrapped tenderloin on the puff pastry and completely wrap it up. Make sure to enclose the ends of the tenderloin as well. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to tighten. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
Cooking the Tenderloin
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the puff pastry-wrapped tenderloin on a tray that's covered with foil. Brush all over with a beaten egg and sprinkle salt on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes to get medium-rare. Double check the internal temperature for 135ºF for medium-rare.
- Allow to rest 10 minutes. Slice into individual pieces and enjoy!
