Beef Wellington

This is the showstopper of all main course dishes. When done correctly, this dish make a statement: I am a bad ass in the kitchen!

It makes that statement though because it is notoriously difficult to pull off. You need to make sure the dish stays together so that it can be cut into beautiful slices containing all of its elements all the while managing to have a crisp exterior with beef that is not overcooked. Reportedly named after the Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon in the Napoleonic wars, this dish really is a cook’s “Waterloo”. Historical puns aside, I have finally found a way to make this dish perfectly every time.

This recipe is taken partially from Gordon Ramsey with a lot of direction and input from Alex Ainouz, from Alex French Guy Cooking. If you have not heard of him, you have to check out his YouTube channel prompt! He is obsessive in the best possible way. Deconstructing famous recipes and trying to perfect them for the home cook. His focus is usually on French cuisine, but he has explored a variety of recipes including a recent docuseries on fried rice that was fascinating. Alex recommends cooking the beef tenderloin using sous vide to ensure that it is not overcooked. I wanted to take a similar approach but without sous vide which I (and most home chefs) do not have. The method is still the same: cook the beef first, long and slow so that it is perfectly medium-rare. You then chill the cooked beef so when you return the finished Beef Wellington to the oven, it merely heats through resulting in a perfect crispy pastry without overcooked meat. Flawless every time!

You can prepare the beef to the point of wrapping it in the saran wrap up to three days in advance. Alex makes his own puff pastry which even my level of ‘do it yourself’ intensity finds excessive. Feel free to purchase frozen puff pastry.

A special shout out to my friends- Johnny V and Adam who tackled this dish last Spring and inspired me.

Beef Wellington

Adapted from Alex French Guy Cooking

1 beef tenderloin fillet (about 2 lbs)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 pound (450g) white button or cremini mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
2 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
6 slices of prosciutto
1 large egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line a sheet pan and place a meat rack on top of the prepared sheet pan. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Season the tenderloin all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the meat in the skillet until well browned on all sides. Place the beef on top of the meat rack and cook it uncovered in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 125 F for medium rare (you can cook it to 130̊ F if you prefer medium cooked beef). Remove the beef and set aside to cool while you prepare the duxelles.

Finely chop the mushrooms. Heat a medium saute pan on medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have exuded all their liquid and start to sizzle, about 8 minutes. Continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to brown and leave browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes longer. Add the shallot, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the brandy. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Continue cooking until the brandy is nearly dry, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Spread the dijon mustard all over the tenderloin. Lay a large square of plastic wrap on the counter. You will need to wrap the entire tenderloin, so make sure you have enough surface area. Arrange the prosciutto slices horizontally with each slice slightly overlapping each other. Spread the duxuelle thinly over the arranged prosciutto. Place the tenderloin on top of the duxelles. Slowly roll the tenderloin with the plastic wrap and roll tightly. Place the wrapped tenderloin in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. [Alternatively you can place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days]

Roll out the thawed puff pastry with a rolling pin until smooth. Brush the pastry with an egg wash. Unwrap the tenderloin from the plastic wrap. Place the tenderloin on the puff pastry and slowly wrap it, folding the ends underneath. Cut off any excess. Brush the top with additional egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Place the Wellington on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 475̊ F for about 10 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.

Slice into thick rounds and serve like the bad ass you are.