1 hour serves 6-8

Beef Wellington

Holidays and Beef Wellington pair perfectly together.  Deceptively easy to make, it can be prepared and assembled ahead of time. In this recipe our Pre center-cut tenderloin roast is coated with Duxelles, made with mushrooms, shallots, herbs, wine and butter.  Everything is wrapped together in prosciutto and tender, flaky puff pastry, creating a nice, cozy, savory hug for your taste buds and your in-laws.  Serve with your favorite Holiday side dishes  like our creamed spinach, cheesy scalloped potatoes or herbed popovers. 

ACTIVE: 1 hr. 0 min. DIFFICULTY Medium

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pre Center-cut Tenderloin Roast (1.75 pounds)
  • 2-3 t kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth, diced 1/4”
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 t fresh thyme, stemmed (about 6 sprigs)
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • 1 T plus 1t olive oil
  • 2 t low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 T Cognac, dry sherry, or dry white wine
  • 8 slices packaged prosciutto
  • 2 T Dijon mustard
  • All purpose flour, for dusting
  • 1 piece puff pastry
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Whipped Horseradish sauce for serving (optional)
Equipment: 
  • Parchment paper
  • Meat thermometer
  1. Duxelles might sound intimidating but it’s just a fancy word for a sautéed mushroom mix. Some recipes call for expensive varieties but we think white button mushrooms work fine. Once it’s all cooked together with the other ingredients the more nuanced flavors of specialty varieties are hard to discern. Use any mushroom you like, they all work. If you’re a newbie to cooking with mushrooms, gently clean by using a damp (not soaking wet) paper towel and never submerge them in water.
  2. Make Duxelles:
    Place mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme in a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces.
  3. Heat butter and 1 T olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add Duxelles mix and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through and beginning to crisp, making sure they don’t burn, about 12-14 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and set aside. (If you are prepping the Duxelles in advance instead, they should be made 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator — bring them to room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding with assembling the roast.)
  5. Brown Roast:
    Remove roast from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before preparing the Wellington.
    Remove from package and blot dry with a paper towel. Season generously on all sides, including the ends with the kosher salt. Set aside until ready to assemble the roast.
  6. In the same pan that you used for the Duxelles, preheat the pan and add 1 t olive oil.
    Sear roast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, including the ends, until nicely browned. Watch the heat so the meat sears evenly.
  7. Let the roast cool for about 30 minutes then rub all surfaces of the meat with the Dijon mustard.
  8. Assembly Step 1
    Most recipes call for wrapping the roast in plastic wrap. We think store-bought plastic wrap is hard to work with. The only thing it seems to stick to is itself. We opt for a piece of parchment-lined foil but if you’d rather use plastic wrap that’s fine too.
  9. Remove Duxelles mix from the refrigerator and bring to about room temp, about 25-30 minutes. It’s fine if it’s slightly chilled.
  10. Lay a large piece of foil on a clean work surface. Add a piece of parchment paper large enough to accommodate the roast in the center, about 1 inch from the bottom of the foil.
  11. Shingle prosciutto in a rectangle, slightly overlapping them as you go. Gently spread Duxelles over prosciutto slices, it’s fine to use clean fingers, making sure you evenly spread the mix to the edges.
  12. Place the roast horizontally about 1 inch from the bottom of the parchment. Carefully roll by using the edge of the foil, and snuggly roll the prosciutto around the roast. You will probably have a few gaps, prosciutto is delicate, you can use your fingers to adjust any areas needed by gently pulling the prosciutto into place. The whole roast will be covered in puff pastry so perfection isn’t necessary.
  13. Wrap the foil and parchment around the roast and twist the ends like a candy wrapper. Chill for at least 45 minutes before cooking.
  14. At this point, the roast can be refrigerated overnight.
  15. Assembly Step 2
  16. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  17. On a clean work surface dusted with flour, roll out the puff pastry in to a large rectangle, about 16” x 18”.
  18. Place the puff pastry on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  19. Remove roast from foil and place about 4 inches from the bottom of the long side of the puff pastry rectangle. Carefully roll the pastry around the roast, overlapping at the finish by about an inch.
  20. Trim overhanging ends, leaving about 2 inches on each end.
  21. Add 1 t water to the beaten egg and brush the pastry generously with the egg, using your fingers to make sure all of the pastry is completely covered, including the bottom. The egg wash acts as the glue that will keep the pastry in place, in addition to creating a beautiful golden crust.
  22. With a sharp knife carefully cut some vents in the top of the puff pastry.
  23. Fold the end pieces like you are wrapping a present, coating the ends generously with the egg wash as you go. Tuck the ends under the roast and carefully lift the parchment paper and transfer the roast to a roasting pan or glass baking dish.
  24. Cook roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads 115°F to 120°F for medium-rare. Ovens vary so check in on your Wellington after about 10 minutes. You might want to flip the pan 90 degrees if the pastry is browning unevenly.
  25. Hold the parchment on each long end and lift the roast from baking dish, discard parchment. Place on carving board. Let the roast rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  26. To slice, cut roast in the center and work out towards the ends, slicing roast in to 1 “ pieces. Use a very sharp knife, being careful to disrupt the pastry as little as possible.

Instructions

Beef Wellington

Amount per 235

  • 269kcal

    Calories
  • 30.19g

    Protein
  • 13.21g

    Fat
  • 6.95g

    Carbohydrates

Recipe developed by   Jennifer Borchardt