Beef Wellington Recipe

Beef Tenderloin Baked within a Puff Pastry Shell

Jan 5, 2009 Catherine Laurenzi-Bridges

This is an adaptation of the classic Beef Wellington introduced by the British. By enriching a tenderloin with duxelle and pate, the meat absorbs new depths of flavor.

This elegant recipe features a beef tenderloin enrobed with duxelle, pate and slices of proscuitto then baked gently in a pastry shell. Topped with Perigueux Sauce, Beef Wellington may be considered one of the most indulgent of classic beef dishes. Its preparation, however time consuming, is not difficult and many steps may be prepared ahead of time. This impressive and delicious meal can be mastered and presented with aplomb by home chefs of any caliber.

Beef Wellington Recipe

  • 3 lbs beef tenderloin
  • Lard netting or caul for barding
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1oz butter, unsalted
  • 6 oz pâté de foie gras or 6 oz fresh chicken livers, trimmed and soaked in water with a pinch of salt and sugar for a few hours
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb puff pastry
  • 12 slices prosciutto, paper thin
  • Plastic wrap
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • Mushroom Duxelle, prepared and cooled
  • Perigueux Sauce or Madeira and truffle jus

Use either the roasting or the searing method to begin preparation of the tenderloin:

  1. Roast: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sit the beef on a roasting tray, season with fresh ground pepper and wrap in one layer of lard netting (caul). Roast for 15 minutes for medium-rare or 20 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, reserve any juices for the jus.
  2. Sear: Rub tenderloin with olive oil and press in ground pepper over the entire surface. Sear on all sides in a very hot skillet taking time to brown all exposed surfaces. Reserve fond from skillet with 1 cup of water or broth. Let tenderloin come to room temperature. After you have cooled the tenderloin to room temperature, chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Assembly:

  1. Overlap two pieces of plastic wrap over a large chopping board. Layout the prosciutto on the plastic wrap, slightly overlapping, in a double row. Spread half the pate over the prosciutto then, half the Mushroom Duxelle over the pate. Set the chilled tenderloin onto the duxelle and spread on the remaining pate. Add the final half of duxelle over the pate.
  2. Use the plastic wrap to draw the prosciutto around the tenderloin, rolling it into a sausage shape when completely covered. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to tighten it. Chill the wrapped beef while rolling out the puff pastry.
  3. Roll out puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface to a size and shape that will fit the tenderloin. Place on a non-stick or treated baking sheet. It may be necessary to refrigerate the pastry at short intervals to keep it workable and without tears.
  4. Remove the plastic wrap and set the tenderloin on the centre of the pastry. Brush the pastry's edges, and the top and sides of the wrapped fillet, with beaten egg. Gently bring together the edges of the puff pastry over the beef, pressing well into the sides. Seal the ends with the edge of a fork or spoon handle, removing extra puff pastry. Pieces can be rolled out again and designs cut from them to glue with beaten egg onto the surface of the Wellington before baking.
  5. Glaze the outside surface with beaten egg. Mark the Wellington with diagonal lines not cutting all the way into the pastry. Cutting a steam venting hole in the center top of the Wellington is an option. Chill the prepared Wellington for 30 minutes and up to 24 hours before baking.
  6. Bake the Beef Wellington at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Then, reduce heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a further 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. If the tenderloin was seared rather than roasted, the baking time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit should be extended by 10 minutes to achieve an internal meat temperature of 130 degrees. If the pastry becomes too dark, tent it with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when done and leave to relax (uncovered) for 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Serve a thick slice of pink Wellington with Perigueux Sauce or Madeira and Truffle Jus spooned over the top with an additional bit pooled to the side for dipping.

The copyright of the article Beef Wellington Recipe in Recipes is owned by Catherine Laurenzi-Bridges. Permission to republish Beef Wellington Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Fine Dining, Rich DuBose
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