If you asked me to name the fanciest entrée I could think of, I would probably say, Beef Wellington. This delicious concoction of beef tenderloin wrapped in pastry with other savory additions is a time-proven showstopper. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has told me, making a Beef Wellington is a project, but no single step is particularly difficult.
Right at the top we would like to say that Chef Gordon Ramsay has produced a video that you can find on YouTube that is a master class in how to make a Beef Wellington; very easy to follow, very authoritative. As we admit, Ramsay may be a cranky chef on TV but he is also a great teacher, so we’re not surprised he’s got a good tutorial.
Let’s start with the meat.What we want is a 2-3 pound center cut beef tenderloin.This cut does very well if cooked only to rare or medium rare. It’s tenderness and mild flavor are perfect. And to get a good one, talk with your favorite beef producer and ask him to set one aside for you. Shane Hughes, the owner of Liberty Delight Farm has been a very reliable source for us, and he’s our “go-to guy”.
Now in a Beef Wellington we are building up a series of layers: beef, pâté or duxelles, then bacon or prosciutto, all wrapped in puff pastry, in that order. There’s several brands of very good quality puff pastry available in the stores, but you may need to buy two rolls to get the job done.
And a note about puff pastry: you can roll it out, but don’t overdo it or the pastry will be too compressed to work.
So let’s start. We’re going to put a bit of a sear on our tenderloin in a skillet. Remember to first pat the meat dry in order to get that sear. Sear all the sides and don’t forget the two ends. Now set the meat aside and let’s move on, and for this recipe we’re going to use duxelles. This is a filling made from very finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and garlic. The trick is to cook the chopped mixture in a skillet with a lot of butter, and let the mushroom’s abundant water cook off. Once that’s done, you can set it aside to cool, and we can get back to the beef.
According to Gordon Ramsay we will want to wrap the tenderloin in saran wrap and tighten it as much as we can. The idea is to create a firm tight cylinder that will hold its shape. So wrap it up tight, and into the fridge it goes. And here’s a tip: buy a roll of super-wide plastic wrap to accommodate the beef.
After that, it’s a matter of assembly, and we’re almost done. Roll out your sheets of puff pastry and make sure they’re big enough to wrap the tenderloin. Lay down a layer of prosciutto ham or bacon the length of the pastry. (To make a kosher version, you can use a vegetable paté for the first layer.) Then cover that up with a layer of the duxelles. Finally unwrap your tenderloin and carefully roll it up in the pastry. Seal the edges and the end with egg yolk and make a nice tidy wrap on the ends.
Now you may want to get creative with the surface of the pastry. Using the tip of a sharp knife you can score the pastry in any pattern you want. A nice crisscross is always effective.
And what about our baking time? We’d say 30-45 minutes in a hot oven, around 425°. Just keep an eye on it and don’t let the pastry burn. When it’s golden brown everything will be fine. And don’t worry, the meat will easily cook inside the pastry shell.
Finally, whip up a beef broth and vegetable sauce for it, and a big mound of buttery mashed potatoes. Add to that your best red wine, of course! And there you go. A lot of easy small steps resulting in a real showstopper of a main course for your holiday dinner.
Beef Wellington
