Best Ever Beef Wellington Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of meat for beef Wellington? ›

Beef Wellington is a nice cut of meat, usually a fillet steak, beef tenderloin, or filet mignon. It uses the center-cut portion of the meat that is known to be the most tender and juicy part of the cow. The meat is wrapped in a mustard sauce, then a mushroom duxelles and prosciutto.

When you remove your Wellington from the oven, rest it on a cooking wire so the heat escapes equally, to avoid a soggy pastry bottom. Cut into generous slices to avoid the Wellington falling apart.

Beef Wellington is a dish that can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and baked from fully chilled.

For all its steps and ingredients, a beef Wellington is really not a difficult dish technique-wise. There are only two real major problems that arise when you bake it. The first is keeping the puff pastry from turning soggy.

It is usually the pastry base of a beef wellington that turns out to be soggy, as the juices from the beef and the mushroom filling tend to drip down onto the pastry as the wellington cooks. The first step to a crisper pastry is to make sure that the mushroom filling is cooked until all of the liquid has evaporated.

Bake in 425°F oven 35 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer Beef Wellington to carving board. Let stand 10 minutes.

Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours. (If refrigerating longer than 1 hour, let the Wellington sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.) At least 20 minutes before baking, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 475°F. Brush the Wellington with the remaining beaten egg.

Add a Layer

Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven. This will prevent the filling from turning the crust soggy.

The answer is simple, after coating your wrapped Wellington in egg wash just add a generous sprinkling of salt over the top before placing it in the oven and you're guaranteed deliciously golden pastry every time.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place FROZEN pastry-wrapped roast in a roasting pan (do not thaw prior to cooking). Bake roast 45 minutes, reduce heat to 400°F, and bake 45 minutes longer for medium-rare to medium. Bake roast to a minimum internal temperature of 130°F to 140°F.

Should Beef Wellington be room temperature before cooking? ›

Bring the beef to room temperature: 20-30 minutes before you'd like to begin cooking, pull the beef tenderloin out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature before searing. Thaw the puff pastry: Similarly, if using frozen, thaw the puff pastry, if frozen.

Beef Wellington requires a dry and medium-bodied red wine such as a Bordeaux, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Malbec, or Syrah to stand up to the beef flavours while complementing the puff pastry, onion and mushroom flavours in this decadent dish.

Lower the fat content of your wellington by using filo pastry instead of puff, eliminating butter, a non-stick frying pan to reduce the amount of oil needed, replacing the pate and using herbs and garlic to boost flavour without needing salt.

Use a sharp serrated knife to halve or slice the Wellington. It makes cutting through the puff pastry without tearing much, much easier.

This beef wellington recipe is the best! Beef tenderloin is coated with mustard, mushroom duxelles, ham, and then wrapped in a puff pastry and baked.

And how, exactly, does steam create a crisp crust? Simply put, it has to do with the starch in flour. As bread bakes, its outer layer (crust) eventually reaches 180°F. At that point, the starches on the surface burst, become gel-like, and then harden in the oven's heat to a crackly consistency.

Line the tart tin with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is firm, then remove the beans and cook for about 5 minutes more, until golden brown and biscuity. Trim off any excess using a small serrated knife before filling.

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes.

If the pastry base absorbs too much liquid, the Wellington won't hold together when you slice it. Slices that don't look perfect will still taste incredible, but if you want the pastry to hold together, you need to keep the juices inside the prosciutto wrap.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together.

Can shortcrust pastry be made the day before? ›

Making ahead

This pastry (and all the variations below) can be made up to 3 days before using. Wrap well in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Stand at room temperature for 20-60 minutes (depending on the weather) until softened slightly, enough to roll easily.

The best desserts for beef wellington include quintessentially English options like raspberry trifle, apple crumble and custard, sticky toffee pudding, and lemon posset. They're sweet, indulgent, and will be a huge hit with adults and kids alike.

Wellington may have a stiff reputation—military commanders, fancy hotels—but it's actually worth making at home (and not as hard as you think) for a special occasion. The most daunting part is working with puff pastry, getting a tight roll, and achieving the golden crust without sabotaging your expensive steak.

If food is still frozen or partially frozen, it will take longer to cook. The outside of the food could be cooked, but the centre might not be, which means it could contain harmful bacteria.

Today it is famous mainly thanks to Gordon Ramsey, but beef Wellington has much older origins, dating back to the nineteenth century.

Duxelles (French: [dyksɛl]) is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions or shallots, herbs such as thyme or parsley, and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste.

Can You Freeze Beef Wellington Before Cooking? Yes, beef wellington that has not been cooked can be frozen. It just needs to be popped into a freezer bag to keep it airtight. Be wary that it will be very fragile so be gentle.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and meat reaches desired doneness. For medium-rare, a thermometer should read 145 degrees F, for medium 160 degrees F, for well-done 170 degrees F.

Due to the relatively quick cooking time, the tenderloin (or fillet) is really the only cut that can be successfully used in a beef wellington. That said, I have seen individual wellingtons made with a normal ribeye steak. Basically, get steaks that are about 1 inch/3cm thick and trim off all the outside fat.

Tenderloin Substitutes: A ribeye roast will turn out nearly as tender as the tenderloin, but it contains significantly more fat and will take longer to cook. A sirloin butt roast also works, and pork tenderloin is a good option if you're not sold on beef for dinner.

Is beef tenderloin the same as filet mignon? ›

Filet Mignon is part of the Tenderloin, which is why some see Tenderloin and Filet Mignon as one in the same. Filet Mignon is cut from the tip of the Tenderloin, a delicate and tender area of the loin primal.

Beef Wellington is a tender filet mignon steak wrapped in delicate puff pastry. It is allegedly named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington. The Wellingtons have a filling of filet mignon, seasoned mushrooms (called duxelles), pâté, and Dijon mustard which all add to the decadent flavor.

Eggplant

What is this? Eggplant can also be used as a substitute in beef Wellington as part of the “duxelle” as long as a small amount is used, given the higher water content.

Eye of round is a simple boneless beef roast, and is what's called a “whole muscle” cut of beef. It's one of the best roasts sliced and served with gravy or for making Beef Wellington…. and for leftovers, too.

Shoulder Petite Tender

It is nicknamed butcher's steak because it requires some skill to extract, and is (deservedly) popular among true beef aficionados. This lean, juicy cut looks like a small tenderloin, and tastes like one, too — so it's also sometimes known as the poor man's tenderloin.

A classic cut, the eye fillet comes from the strip of muscle tucked against the backbone of the animal, the “tenderloin”. The creme de la creme of steaks, eye fillets are the most tender cut of beef – which also makes it the most expensive, and arguably the most desirable.

Very thin cut strips of sirloin steak can be nearly as tender as a filet mignon, making it an excellent value. Best Prepared: Cook quickly on high heat by either broiling, sauteing or grilling.

Beef Tenderloin Steak (Filet Mignon)

Beef tenderloin is where you'll find filet mignon. But because filet mignon is just a portion of the full tenderloin, it's more expensive per pound than the beef tenderloin itself.

Tenderloin only makes for 1% of the total percentage of the carcass. That makes Filet Mignon very rare, and therefore more expensive. Not all Filet Mignons are the same. You must know how to choose the best quality steak and cook it properly.

What drink goes with Beef Wellington? ›

Beef Wellington requires a dry and medium-bodied red wine such as a Bordeaux, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Malbec, or Syrah to stand up to the beef flavours while complementing the puff pastry, onion and mushroom flavours in this decadent dish.

What's The Difference Between Chateaubriand And Beef Wellington? A chateaubriand is referred to as a center cut of beef tenderloin, whereas a beef Wellington is coated in mushroom duxelles and rolled in puff pastry.

Duxelles (French: [dyksɛl]) is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions or shallots, herbs such as thyme or parsley, and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste.