Beef Wellington

It turns out my sister Sue is also a foodie. She and I decided this afternoon that we would be making Beef Wellington for dinner. We went to the store for supplies, and had a feast within 3 hours of returning from the store.

   

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef tenderloin (we used two ~ 8 ounce chunks.
  (Note: This is a very tender, very expensive cut of beef!)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 1 pound mushrooms
• 4 thin slices Parma ham or prosciutto
• 1 pack (14 - 16 ounces) puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Flaky salt, for sprinkling on top

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven  to 400°F as you assemble the Wellington.
2. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan on high heat. Sear the beef in the pan on all sides until well browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
   (Hint: do not move the beef until it has had a chance to brown.)
3. Remove the beef from the pan and let cool. Once cooled, brush the beef on all sides with mustard.
4. Roughly chop the mushrooms and put them into a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped.
5. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Transfer the mushroom mixture into the pan and cook, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. When the mushrooms look dry, remove the pan and set aside to cool.
7. Roll out a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay out the slices of ham on the plastic wrap so that they overlap and are large enough to wrap around and encapsulate the beef. Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham.
   
   
   
   
8. Place the beef in the middle and roll the mushroom and ham over the beef, using the plastic wrap so that you do this tightly.
9. Wrap up the beef into a tight barrel shape, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to secure. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
   
   
   
   
10. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to a size that will wrap around the beef.
    (We cut the puff pastry in half to wrap each chunk separately.)
11. Unwrap the beef from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg yolks. (We forgot to put the mustard on the tenderloins, so brushed it on the prosciutto.)
    
    
    
    
12. Fold the pastry around the beef, cutting off any excess at the ends.
    (Pastry that is more than 2 layers thick will not cook all the way, try to limit the overlap.)
13. Place on a small plate, seam side down, and brush beaten egg yolks all over the top. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes.
14. Place the pastry-wrapped beef on a baking pan. Brush the exposed surface again with the beaten egg. 
15. Score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, not going all the way through the pastry.
    
    
    
    
16. Bake at 400°F for 25 to 35 minutes. The pastry should be nicely golden when done. 
17. To ensure that your roast is medium rare, test doneness with an instant read meat thermometer. Pull out at 125 to 130°F for medium rare.

 

Carole's Notes:

Everyone really liked this! The beef was medium rare and soft, and the wraps added layers of flavor!
This served 4 people, with a little left over after we served it with Potatoes Provencal and

Strawberry Spinach Salad.



The recipe is from https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beef_wellington/