Beef Wellington

This recipe is from the New York Times. It is the quintessential holiday dish. And on this day, I was the Sous Chef. It was a lot of fun to make and perfect for a special occasion dinner. Based on availability we did make a few modifications to the recipe as we will note along the way.

Jump to Recipe

This is the perfect mushroom lovers dish, as it takes a lot of mushrooms finely chopped at a part of the Wellington “wrapping.” On this day we used a combination of white and baby bella mushrooms, but a mix of woodier mushrooms adds even more flavor.

The chefs hard at work in the Park City kitchen. (No there’s no chocolate in this dish, he was making a dessert)

Finely dice the shallot.

After the chopping, start by rendering the pancetta (or bacon, which is what we used on this day) in a Dutch oven or large skillet, that is cold to start. The pancetta should crisp in about 6-8 minutes.

Add two tablespoons of butter and turn the heat up high. Next, add the shallot and all the mushrooms. The mushrooms should start to release their liquid after about 4-6 minutes. When they do, decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for about another 20 minutes until the liquid is gone and the mushrooms browned.

Add the garlic and thyme leaves, and a bit of olive oil if the pan is dry. If using sherry, add this at this point too. (We did not have sherry so we added a tablespoon of red wine) Spoon the mixture into a bowl and put to the side.

The recipe calls to tie the tenderloin. Ours was well put together so we did not need this step. In the same skillet or Dutch oven it’s time to brown the meat in a bit of olive oil. Once browned remove from the skillet and brush with the mustard.

Now comes the artistic part. Lay plastic wrap on the clean counter and lay out the prosciutto. Spread the mushroom mixture completely across the prosciutto.

Lay the meat at one end of the prosciutto. Carefully lift the wrap, starting to roll the prosciutto around the meat.

Once completely wrapped place in the fridge for 30 minutes. To this point, all of this can be made a day ahead.

After 30 minutes, it’s time to wrap in the pastry dough. Remove the plastic wrap from the meat. It should stay in place after chilling. Lay the pasty on parchment to avoid sticking, then roll around the meat. Once rolled, trim the extra dough away.

With extra dough, it’s time to get creative if you want an extra challenge. She did a great job with cute cutouts to top the Wellington with.

At this point the oven should be pre-heated to 400 degrees. Brush the Wellington with an egg and water wash.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Using a meat thermometer will ensure the perfect temperature. Look how great this looks! (and it tasted even better) You can do it too!

Picture perfect!

A Proud Chef

This was her first attempt at this challenging dish. Thanks to the great recipe from the New York Times and her own good instincts, it turned out delicious. The entire family enjoyed for a perfect Christmas dinner.

Yield: 8-10

Author: NYT Cooking

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is a classic holiday dish. This version, from NYT Cooking, is made with a high quality beef tenderloin, a mix of wild mushrooms and prosciutto all wrapped in a delicious puff pastry.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 2 Hour

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. center-cut beef tenderloin
• 2 oz pancetta or thick cut bacon, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 oz. mushrooms, preferably a mix, such as cremini, white, shiitake, chanterelles or oyster, very finely chopped (4 cups)
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or vermouth
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 10-12 thin slices prosciutto
• 1 large egg
• 16 oz. puff pastry, thawed

Instructions

1. Using kitchen twine, tie the tenderloin into a 12-inch log, folding the thinner end onto itself. (Use your hands to squeeze the meat into a log. You can be aggressive here.)
2. Place pancetta in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta starts to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add butter, raise heat to high, and stir in mushrooms and shallot. Cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off, 4 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring frequently, another 18 to 23 minutes. (Take your time here, you want a deep golden color for the best flavor.) Scrape bottom of the skillet as necessary to prevent burning.
4. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little olive oil, then stir in garlic and thyme leaves. Cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl to cool. (Do not add salt at this point.)
5. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cool slightly. Remove any twine. Brush meat all over with mustard.
6. On a clean work surface, overlap long sheets of plastic wrap (about 15-by-15 inches). Place prosciutto slices on top to make about a 14-by-7-inch rectangle, arranging them in an even layer and overlapping the pieces slightly. Spread cooled mushroom mixture on top.
7. Place beef along one long end of the prosciutto slices, and roll prosciutto tightly around beef. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, twisting both ends like a candy wrapper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
8. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Lay puff pastry out on the prepared baking sheet, lightly draping over edges. (The pastry needs to be at least 14-inches long and 13-inches wide to cover the beef; if not, roll it out as needed.)
9. Carefully unwrap and place chilled log along the edge of one long side of puff pastry. Roll beef up tightly, then place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck puff pastry over the ends of the beef to cover them, pinching to seal and folding underneath. Brush top and sides of pastry with egg wash, and use a small sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of the pastry.
10. Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 115 degrees for rare, 25 to 35 minutes. (This timing will yield rare pieces at the thicker end and medium done pieces at the thinner end of the loin.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve while warm. Enjoy!