Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington: A tender beef tenderloin filet wrapped in layers of mushrooms and shallots, salty prosciutto and a buttery golden pastry crust.

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If you are looking for an impressive dish to serve for dinner, Beef Wellington is it! This recipe comes from my mother's recipe box. It is a tradition for her to serve it around the holiday's, but why wait all year for something so good!

Don't let its fancy and complex appearance fool you. This dish is pretty easy to make! In this blog post, I am going to show you my fool proof method for perfect Beef Wellington, every time.

What is Beef Wellington?

Beef Wellington, is a tender fillet wrapped in pastry crust. The beef is topped with a mixture of mushrooms, Dijon mustard and shallots and a layer of prosciutto.

It is named after Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, prime minister of Britain. His role in the creation of the this now famous meal isn't certain, but it sounds just as good as it tastes!

How to Make Beef Wellington

Making this Beef Wellington recipe is really easy if you break it down into 3 steps: Making the duxelles, wrapping the roast and finally baking it. In this blog post, I am going to show you how easy each step is and guide you through exactly how my mom makes it. Don't forget to invite me for dinner!

Ingredients

For the Beef:

• 2 lb beef tenderloin
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and pepper
• 8 pieces prosciutto
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Flour, for rolling pastry
• 1 lb puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
• eggs
• Salt and pepper

For the Duxelles:

• 1 ½ pounds white button mushrooms, finely minced
• 2 shallots or ½ cup onions, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

How to make Duxelles

What is a Duxelles? A Duxelles is basically a simple mixture of sautéed chopped mushrooms, onions, and shallots. It is used as a filling for a number of different dishes, including pastries and sauces.

To make the duxelles for this recipe, you are going to finely chop the mushrooms, onions and rosemary. You can use a food processor and lightly pulse, or use a kitchen knife. You want the sizing to be in between a chop and a mince.

Next, heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the mushroom mixture along with salt and pepper until tender. Most of the liquid should have evaporated. If there is some left, drain the mixture and use a spoon to press the remaining liquid out.

Preparing the Roast

Prepare the roast by drizzling olive oil over the entire thing and rub salt and pepper into the meat. If desired, you can use cooking twine to tie the roast to keep its cylinder shape. Prepare a large, heavy bottomed cooking pan over medium high heat and sear each side of the roast.

While the roast is browning, spread plastic wrap on a flat surface and lay the prosciutto evenly apart allowing it to overlap slightly. Use a spatula to spread the duxelles over the proscuitto in a thin layer.

When the roast is done browning, rub Dijon mustard all over it and place is on the prepared duxelles and prosciutto. Wrap the roast up tightly, turning prosciutto over all ends and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to hold shape.

Meanwhile, roll the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface and seal them together with the roller, side by side. Spread out to about ¼" thickness, or until the entire puff pastry can wrap around the roast.

Remove the beef from the fridge and set it in the center of the pastry. Fold over the longer sides, brushing with the egg wash to seal. You may need to trim the edges.

Place the roast seam side down in a baking pan and cut small diagonal slits across the top to allow steam to escape.

Roasting Tips

Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches your desired level of doneness. Follow these guidelines to cook your roast to suit your taste:

• Rare: 125-130
• Medium Rare: 130-140
• Medium: 140-150
• Medium Well: 150-160
• Well: 160-210

Be sure to test in the center of the roast. Do not cut open to check for doneness, this will release some extremely flavorful juices. Using a reliable instant read thermometer and slicing after the roast cools will give you much better results.

Preventing Overbrowning

If your pastry is getting a little too browned and the beef is not at the temperature you want, you can lightly drape aluminum foil over the roast to prevent it from getting too toasty.

What to serve with Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington pairs best with simple green veggies. Spinach, collard greens, steamed broccoli and roasted brussels sprouts all go really well with the dish.

Substitutions for Prosciutto in Beef Wellington

Traditional Beef Wellington uses prosciutto but if you can't find it or don't care for it you could skip it or use Jamón Serrano, Ham, Culatello, Pancetta, Bacon, Beef Bresaola, or Salami.

Grab one of these delicious recipes for your holiday celebration!  Pull Apart Cheesy Bread from What’s Cookin’ Chicago  Cranberry Goat Cheese Roll from Savory Experiments Loaded Cauliflower from Devour Dinner Caramelized Onion and Pear Bites from Chipa by the Dozen Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball from House of Nash Eats Old Fashioned Green Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar from Rose Bakes Breakfast Charcuterie Board from Hoosier Homemade Hasselback Potato Gratin from The Flour Handprint  Beef Wellington from Fresh Coast Eats