The British are Coming Beef Wellington

It’s time to celebrate father’s day. Many fathers are fans of red meat. So, we have you covered today. This is an elegant dish that one does not see very often. Surprisingly, it owes it’s origins to the British. Generally, the British are not known for gourmet food. And, the central ingredients are decidedly French. But, it was created to honor the duke of Wellington for his victory at the battle of Waterloo. We have it on our menu today to memorialize the USA battling the British for our independence. Paul Revere could have rode through the streets shouting: The British are Coming, Beef Wellington is on the menu. It would be a silly thing to say. But, why not? Tenderloin baked in puff pastry with mushroom duxelles is quite an upgrade from meat pie.

We use a mushroom duxelle in this version. Some people use foie gras for a truly decadent dish. But, that is not as available as it once was. If you have access to it, and want to add some in, feel free. Some people feel it is a bit gamey. We are going with a straight mushroom duxelle here. There is plenty of flavor there. Try to get a mixture of wild mushrooms to make it.

For the puff pastry, we are using frozen dough (available in finer stores). You can make your own. But, it is a pretty involved process. And, frankly, few people still make their own. Some of the products available on the market are of superior quality. It’s a lot of work to make your own. And, the commercially available products offer great consistency.

The British are Coming, Beef Wellington is on the menu.

We finish the dish with a lovely demi-glace. Don’t use beef broth. You need a good quality stock. make your own if you can. And, be prepared to shout: The British are Coming, Beef Wellington is on the menu. Just don’t be too astounded when you see them in their native environment.

CHEERS!

The British are Coming Beef Wellington

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin trimmed center cut
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 6 inch sheets Frozen puff pastry dough
• 1 large Egg
• For duxelles
• 3 cups Assorted wild mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup diced shallot
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• For Demi glace sauce
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh shallot
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 cups homemade or high quality beef or veal stock
• Butter to finish

Instructions

 

• Make the duxelles: saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and stir. cook until soft. Add the sherry and reduce to a glaze. Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Then puree in a food processor. Set aside.
• Make demi glace: Saute shallots in oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce until it is a glaze. Add half the stock and turn heat down to medium. Reduce by 1/2 volume. Then add the rest of the stock. Reduce by 1/2 again. Set aside.
• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• Cut the tenderloin into 4 filet mignon steaks. Oil each and season with salt and pepper, coating evenly. Sear on a grille or in a saute pan over high heat until all sides are evenly browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Lay out the puff pastry sheets and paint with whisked egg. Place a spoonful or more of the duxelles in the center of each sheet (enough to cover the top of the tenderloin. Spread to the size of the steak, but keep in the center of the puff pastry. Put the steak on top of the duxelles. Then lift the 4 corners of the puff pastry and wrap around the steak. Fold them over to seal the steak in the pastry. Repeat with all the steaks. Then put them on a parchment lined sheet pan sprayed with pan spray. Brush the tops and sides of the pastry with more egg.
• Bake the wellingtons for about 20 minutes. They should achieve a golden brown crust. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. You want it to be around 125 for medium rare.
• Heat the demi glace and whisk in a pat of butter. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Sauce the plate and place the wellington on top of the sauce.

Notes

If you prefer a well done steak. Cook the steak through more before wrapping in pastry.

These are individual wellingtons. If you prefer, you can leave the tenderloin whole and Wrap the entire thing, Then you can cut it to order. It will show off the medium rare center. But, be careful cutting it. The puff pastry can fall apart easily.

 

Keyword Beef WEllington, British, duxelles, Father’s day, mushroom, Tenderloin