how2heroes » Beef Wellington

Entrees » Beef Wellington

This entrée is a surefire hit for special occasions. Beautiful, delicious, meticulously prepared. That's Beef Wellington. Personal chef Eliot Morgan dispels any fear of creating this dish with his calm explanation of the steps. Easier than you might think, just don't rush the process, and the result will be a gorgeous pastry-wrapped beef tenderloin with prosciutto and mushrooms that's a keeper for your recipe repertoire.

Print Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

1½ lbs mushroom caps
2 lbs beef tenderloin
coarse salt
black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
5-6 slices prosciutto
2-4 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 sheet puff pastry dough
flour for work surface
1 large egg, beaten

Equipment

food processor
pastry brush
rolling pin
silicone baking mat or parchment paper

How-to

Cook Mushrooms

Remove and discard stems from mushrooms (baby bella mushrooms used in this recipe). Put mushrooms in a food processor and pulse finely. This may need to be done in more than one batch, depending on the size of your food processor
Heat a large sauté pan over medium, and add ground mushrooms. Cook with no oil or butter until all water is rendered out, about 25 minutes until they look "like earth." The mushrooms may begin to steam and spit as they initially start to release their moisture, this is normal. Set aside and allow mixture to cool

Season & Sear Beef

Trim the silver skin (white and silvery connective tissue) and any fat. You want a very lean tenderloin
Season meat with salt and pepper on all sides
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add meat and sear each side for 2-3 minutes
Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and let cool

Roll Beef, Mushrooms & Prosciutto

Cover the top of a pie plate tightly with plastic wrap. Lay prosciutto in parallel lines to cover the wrap atop the plate
Using a pastry brush, coat meat with mustard liberally to cover all sides
With an offset spatula, spread the mushrooms mixture evenly to coat the prosciutto
Set meat on top of mushrooms and roll the prosciutto tightly around the beef, using the plastic wrap to guide the prosciutto, and wrap everything tightly
Refrigerate for 1 hour

Wrap in Pastry & Bake

Preheat oven to 375º
Lightly flour work surface and roll out pastry dough to ¼” thick
Remove meat from plastic wrap and set in the middle of the pastry dough. (If you have two pieces of beef, line side-by-side). Brush egg wash atop the dough and around the meat. Fold the dough, encasing the meat like an envelope. Cut away any excess dough. Brush the seams with egg wash to seal
Place on silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, seam-side-down. Make a few shallow, diagonal scores in the pastry dough with a paring knife, along the sides of the bundle
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the pastry dough is lightly browned
Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into pieces, about 1” thick

Serving Suggestion: Sauces can be served with Wellington, but it is also excellent when served simply with Dijon mustard

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Comments (3)

Posted Friday, March 30, 2012, at 3:24 pm by Carolyn Waldron-Parr:

I made two of these for a big group of family. They came out AMAZING. Follow Eliot's steps and yours will come out great too!
Posted Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at 9:21 pm by CaseyLartigue:

Thanks, Eliot. I WILL try this and will report back the results... Please let me know if you have any other cooking videos.
Posted Thursday, March 31, 2011, at 10:58 pm by Eliot Morgan:

There is nothing done in a professional kitchen that you can't replicate at home--nothing. In a professional kitchen we have to work faster, and at times have easy access to ingredients you my have to put in some extra effort to source, but it is all doable. As for speed, you'll pick it up over time. Don't be afraid to change an ingredient. If you prefer Portobellos or Chanterelles, make the substitute. The thing to watch is the technique. Watch the steps. Take a look at the ingredients. They're all good. You're going to love it. Beef Wellington is so worth the time. Pick a red wine with notes of pepper and dark fruit to stand up to the mushrooms and the caramelization of the beef. If you prefer beer, you'll want to try a hoppy one with this dish. A Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA with its up front hops and malty finish is a fantastic earthy match. Feel free to post about your results. If you have a problem, I'll troubleshoot. Have fun.

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Beef Wellington