Beef Wellington
This dish is my once-a-year, big celebration recipe. Impressive to behold and carved tableside, it really gives that wow factor. It’s truly delicious - tender beef, brushed with a hint of mustard and then wrapped in layers of mushrooms, prosciutto, spinach and puff pastry. It has everything you need for that big celebration.
A couple of things to keep in mind: give yourself TIME. A proper beef wellington, while not difficult, does take time. I recommend you spread out your prep over two days to allow the ingredients enough time to chill, producing the best results. Also, this is the perfect time to use your instant read thermometer. Take the guesswork out and don’t let all your hard work go to waste! Lastly, I love using a lattice cutter for the final pastry layer— it really adds that special something.
ingredients
Beef Wellington
- 1 Center-Cut Beef Tenderloin (About 2 Pounds) Trimmed of sinew and tied at 1" intervals
- 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil Divided
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Lb Flat Leaf Spinach Trimmed, blanched, shocked in ice water and wrung completely dry
- 1/4 Lb Prosciutto or Bresaola Sliced thin
- 1 14oz Boxes of Store-Bought Puff Pastry Thawed in the refrigerator
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 1/2 Lb Mushrooms (A mix of shiitake and crimini works great) cleaned, trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 Shallots Peeled and minced
- 1 Clove Garlic Peeled and minced
- 1 Tsp Finely Chopped Thyme
- 1 Tsp Finely Chopped Rosemary
- 1/2 Cup Madeira Wine Cognac or brandy
- 1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Eggs
- Flakey Sea Salt Such as Maldon
- All Purpose Flour For dusting
- Plastic Wrap
prep
DAY 1
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet (large enough to hold your beef) over medium high heat. Pat the beef dry and sear all over, until a nice crust develops, about 2 minutes each side. Set aside on a plate and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, discard twine and brush all over with the mustard. Transfer to the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, adjust the heat to medium low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter. Heat over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and thyme. Increase the heat to medium and continue to saute until the mushrooms release their moisture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until any moisture has evaporated. Add the madeira or cognac, balsamic and soy sauce and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator.
On a dry work surface, lay out a double layer of plastic wrap, measuring 20” x 14”, with the long side closer to you. Shingle the prosciutto slices on top, slightly overlapping, to form a 14” x 10” rectangle. Flatten out the blanched spinach and lay in an even layer on top of the prosciutto, covering it from edge to edge. For the next layer, spread the mushroom mixture on top of the spinach. Then, lay the chilled beef tenderloin horizontally across, at the bottom edge of the mushroom mixture. Using the plastic wrap as a sling, roll the log away from you. Carefully roll and wrap the beef into a very tight parcel, tucking as you go and making sure the plastic does not tuck into the prosciutto. (If you’ve made a roulade before, this action will feel very similar.) Tie or tuck the ends of the plastic wrap to create a compact, wrapped cylinder. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
DAY 2
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out the first box of puff pastry into a rectangle, ⅛” thick. Place on top of the parchment paper and transfer to the refrigerator to chill while working on the beef roll.
Roll out the second box of puff pastry into a rectangle, ⅛” thick. (Make sure that the longer length of the puff pastry is at least 4” longer than the beef roll.) The long side of the rectangle should be closest to you. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the beef and place it, centered, at the bottom edge of the pastry, closest to you. Working carefully and quickly, roll the pastry to completely wrap and enclose the beef, with a 2” overlapping seam. Trim any excess pastry. Make sure the seam runs at the bottom of the cylinder. Flatten the side ends down towards your work surface. Measure just enough pastry on the sides to be able to just tuck the pastry underneath the cylinder to seal the sides–trim away excess pastry again, and then tuck underneath so that all the seams are hidden beneath your beef roll.
Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the wellington all over with the egg wash.
Remove the second layer of puff pastry from the fridge. Using a lattice pastry roller, firmly roll over the pastry. Gently stretch out the lattice, creating even diamond shapes, and lay over the wellington. (Kitchen tip: it is easier to stretch from the middle working outwards, rather than side to side.) You want just enough lattice pastry to cover the wellington completely and be tucked under, about 2”. (Kitchen tip: You want to be able to fully tuck the lattice underneath the wellington, or else the lattice will ride up the sides as it bakes and shrinks!) Place the wellington back on the prepared sheet pan. Brush again with egg wash and chill in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Remove the wellington from the fridge and brush a final time with egg wash. Sprinkle all over with flakey sea salt. (Bonus work: Place picked thyme or rosemary in the center of each lattice diamond.)
Bake until puff pastry is golden brown and the meat registers your desired doneness (about 35-40 minutes for medium rare, 120 F. Temperature will rise during resting.) Gently remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack (for best results) or a cutting board and let set for at least 20 minutes. Slice using a serrated knife and serve.
